The Escape
by Reaper98
Summary: They run, run from their past, run into their future. They fall in love, a love so deep its insatiable. They fight a war, a war that rages outside, as well as within each and every one of them, and ultimatly, they lose the ones they love, as they turn to the inevitable. This is my take on Mockingjay. This is the Escape. NOTE: On Pause for a little while
1. Chapter 1: Madge : Running for My Life

_Madge's POV_

I ran through the seam, gasping for breath. My legs felt like they would give way any second now. Behind me, I hear buildings crumble, and the screams of the dying echo in my ears.

District twelve is burning. The hovercrafts came about an hour ago, and the first place they targeted was the Seam. I was at the hob, trading one of my mom's old dresses for some more morphling. An explosion echoed out of the Seam, and one in the town followed soon after. I was able to think of my parents for a single second before a stranger grabbed my hand and started dragging me towards the seam. I shrugged off his hand and ran to the meadow. District 12 was in panic, everyone was screming. Babies were crying, mothers screming. I saw a fully grown man sink to his knees and cry like an infant. Everyone was reduced to nothing.

The seam was ahead of me, and past that, another path to the meadow. The residents that were at the edges of the hob ran ahead and stampeded over me. Sharp pain hit my ribs as someone elbowed me. I stumbled backwards, and fell into the space between two of the tables. I tried to get up. I felt pressure on my leg, and saw that my foot was stuck in a small crevice between the tables. I tugged and tugged at my foot, but to no avail. I panicked. "_I'm going to die_," I thought to myself. I heard a slight buzz, and braced myself for the explosion that would certainly follow. Suddenly, I was able to get myself unstuck. I ran out of the Hob, just in time, because the shockwave from the bomb that fell on the Hob swept me off of my feet. I landed in the dirt, spread eagled.

"C'mon Madge, get up," I urged myself. I got up and started to sprint, my flats slapping against the dirt. I ran towards the Meadow, not paying attention to where I was going.

District 12 was burning.

I heard the phrase reapeat in my head over and over again, in Snow's mocking voice.

_"Your friends rebelled against me my dear. Now your beloved district will burn as their punishment. They have died in the arena, but you will die at home,"_

I shiver as his snakelike voice comes to mind. I run, not caring what was in front of me or behind. I ran like death was chasing me, which in my case sadly, it was.

Suddenly, I tripped on something. My arms shot out in front of me as I fell on the dirt. I looked back to see a body. I gasped. The body belonged to Gale Hawthorne.

**Okay, so i edited the first chapter, made it easier to understand, hopefully**

**~reaper**


	2. Chapter 2: Madge : Saving a Friend

**_Okay, so I got the second chapter up. Hope you guys like it. As the fanfiction goes on, the chapters will get longer, i promise._**

_Madge's POV_

Gale's body lay at my feet. A stream of blood ran from his temple to his neck. He looked dead, pale and bloody. I snapped to my senses when another explosion rocked the ground. The fire was spreading, but it was mostly trapped near the mines and seam. I could feel my skin tightening as the heat seared the air, making my vision blurry. Lack of oxygen was making me gasp like a fish. My vision started going black.

" _Snap out of it Madge. C'mon, the hovercrafts are going to be back_." I whispered to myself. Suddenly, I got my second wind. I got up, wincing slightly when I moved my scraped legs. A wheelbarrow lay on the ground, handle missing. _Perfect. _I can cart Gale's body to the meadow.

I retrieved the wheelbarrow. A name was engraved on the side. _Thom. _Suddenly, the entirety of the situation snapped into place. District 12 was being bombed. My parents and the Mellark 's, along with half of district 12, are dead. Gale was lying at my feet, possibly at the brink of passing on. I was going to die if I didn't get to the meadow soon, either from lack of oxygen, or returning hovercrafts.

I sunk to my knees, feeling sick. I was going to die. I was going to be killed, just like Katniss and Peeta in the Quarter Quell arena. Suddenly, I heard a distinct hum.

Above my head, the hovercrafts were coming back. I panicked, grabbing the wheelbarrow and hastily dragging Gale's carcass onto it. The hovercrafts were getting closer. _Find a safe place Madge, they can't possibly bomb all of District 12._ I turned a 360, trying to scout out the area.

The Victor's Village! The Capitol wouldn't want their precious Victor's houses bombed. I quickly dragged Gale's cart behind me. the hovercrafts were closing in. My heart thudded in my chest as I crossed the last few feet to the entrance. I looked around while running. The hovercrafts were lazily circling the district, seeing if there was anything left to destroy. Apparently there was, because I could see bombs being dropped in the distance. I quickly carted the wheelbarrow to the guard house, which was on the outside of the victor's village, and ran inside, quickly closing the door behind me. I sighed, breathing in the clean air of the Victor's Village. The hovercrafts were still bombing the area on the other side of town. I looked over at my charge and noticed his chest moving up and down. _Good, atleast he's alive_. I would be neglecting Katniss's memory if I didn't rescue her best friend.

An explosion outside caught my attention. The hovercraft's were getting closer. "_Strange, they seemed to be moving in a line"_. I thought to myself. It was only a moment before they arrived when I realized what they were doing. I threw myself over Gale's limp body. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash. Numbing pain engulfed me. And then, darkness, sweet, blissful darkness.

**Soooo! How'd you like it? Im going to be adding more POVs later on, as well as a special twist to the whole story. Hope you guys enjoy reading this!**

**~ Reaper**


	3. Chapter 3: Gale : Pain

**Okay, in my story, Gale no longer has feelings for Katniss. Just clearing things up.**

_Gale's POV_

I woke up groggily, not knowing where I was or what I was doing. A dead weight was on top of my chest and it hurt to breathe. I felt something sticky on my face. Blood? Suddenly, the events of the day came back to me.

_District 12 was on fire._

I remember running through the smoke to find my family. Bombs were raining down across town. Smoke obscured my view, as fire and embers bit at my face, burning it and singeing my eyebrows. The screams of people burning in the Seam echoed in my ears. Most of the people in the Seam had already evacuated. I just hope my family got there in time. On the other hand, they only had a five minute warning, and I had three siblings. Well, a guy can hope, can't he?

I squint open my eyes, letting a little bit of light in at a time. I was lying in a broken up building. Half the wall was blown off, and rubble was lying everywhere. I looked down at the weight on my chest.

Holy shit. It was that cute blonde chick that always hung out with Katniss. I raked my mind for her name. _Maine…Mille….Miley….MADGE_! It was the mayor's daughter. What the hell was she doing here, and why was she lying on me? I slowly scooted her off me, and got up, which was a mistake. A sharp pain shot up my side, causing me to inhale deeply. I sat down, observing Madge. Her chest was moving up and down, a sure sign that she was still alive. I observed her back. A long cut ran down her back, from her shoulder blade to her hip on the opposite side. It looked bad. I immediately felt a surge of sudden compassion for this girl. If she hadn't cared enough to throw herself on top of me, I would have surely gotten cut instead and would've probably died from the wound. I slowly picked her up off the rubble. There was a sack near her foot. "I'll have time to look at it later," I thought to myself. Right now, I had to get to the meadow and search for survivors.

I slung the sack over my shoulder and picked Madge up, ignoring the sparks of pain flying up my side. I slowly trudged outside the building.

_The Victor's Village was a charred pile of rubble._

The capitol's village was gone. I smirked slightly when I saw the remains of Mellark's old house. The only thing standing was an old oven. I slowly made my way past the Victors Village, into the meadow. Or what was left of it. The meadow was now a crater in the Earth. Bodies were thrown across the crater, in various states of decomposition. I gagged. Katniss's meadow, her beautiful meadow, was now a dent in the ground, filled with bloody carcasses. I slowly jogged past the meadow, into the trees. I knew one place where I could go to rest, a safe haven, where I could decide what to do next.

The cabin near the lake.

I slowly jogged through the forest, only stopping to retrieve my bow and arrows and take small breaks. By the time I got to the cabin, my body had gone numb. I was panting. Madge was a featherweight, but I wasn't ready to carry that much weight yet. I slowly set her down on the small cot inside the cabin. "_Still out cold_" I thought to myself, "_I wonder how hard she got hit." _

I went outside to wash myself up. Slowly, my current predicament came to me. I was in the middle of the forest, with a decapitated woman. I had no idea if my family was alive or dead. My best friend, whom I had feelings for until she went into the second games, was now gone. Katniss and Peeta were both dead. I had no idea where to go or what to do. I panicked slightly.

"Calm down Gale," I told myself, "You're a Hawthorne, and Hawthorne's never lose their heads in a situation."

I washed my face and went to check up on Madge. She was still sleeping on the cot. She had a gash on top of one eyebrow, but otherwise looked fine.

I stared at her for a little bit longer. Damn, I never noticed how gorgeous she was. "_Shut up Gale, you're not supposed to think about this kind of stuff right now_." I mentally scolded myself. I decided to go hunt while she was asleep so that we could have something to eat while I decide what to do. I grabbed my bow.

About an hour later, I had two squirrels and a small hog that had wandered into one of my traps near the lake. A wild Hog! Now if my family was here, we would have a feast. Wild Hog was even rarer than deer in these woods. I dragged them back to the cabin and put them in the meat storage closet. I would deal with them later.

I started building up wood for a fire. I started dragging a large uprooted tree, but my side screamed in protest. I stuck to small kindling. Soon, I had a good fire going in the cabins fireplace. I sat down and started skinning the animals. I just finished when I heard a groan behind me.

"Gale?" a weak voice whimpered.

"Ahh, she wakes."

"Where are we?"

"Cabin by the lake." I replied. I turned around and face the most gorgeous set of deep blue eyes I have ever seen. I chastised myself for thinking about that again. I went back to cooking the animals. Within an hour, I had cooked squirrel and pork salted and stored for dinner. Madge got up and sat down next to me in front of the fire.

"Mmm, smells good." She said quietly. I decided to start some conversation.

"Did your parents make it out?" I asked and immediately knew that I shouldn't have. A hurt look entered her eyes and she shook her head.

"Posy?" she asked. Madge always had a strange relationship with my little sister. Posy loved her, and would run to her every time they met. Madge's eyes would sparkle, and she would twirl Posy around whenever I took her to sell strawberries.

"Don't know Madge." I whispered sadly. Poor, sweet, adorable Posy, girly little Vick, and sweet Rory. Where were they? I could only hope that they escaped the bombing.

Madge started trembling. I slowly put my arm around her and she cried out in pain. Dammit! I forgot about her back. I turned her around. The skin around the cut was swollen, and it was oozing blood. Ewwww. I gagged at the sight, wondering how a town girl like her could handle so much pain. I grabbed a wet cloth and started cleaning it. I was no Mrs. Everdeen, but I knew that a wound like that needed to be cleaned. Every once in a while, she would wince, but other than that, she stayed strong. I looked at her in admiration. Even Katniss would've cried if she was in her place. I winced, remembering the scars on my own back, from the whipping that seems like it occurred ages ago.

We slowly ate our fill. Madge sat near the fire, staring at the flickering embers, her slight body trembling. I decided to leave her alone, allow her to get all her emotions out. I sighed, and went to the cot, lying down. I marveled at how un-awkward this was, but hey, I guess if someone saved your life, all awkwardness melts away at that instant. I sighed and closed my eyes. I would see what to do tomorrow.

Suddenly, an pair of warm arms wrapped around my shoulder from behind. Madge curled up next to me and within the instant, I could hear her tiny snores. I turned around, and wrapped my arms around the only living person I knew at the moment, and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

A knock sounded on the door, and I heard voices. I woke up with a start, wondering who the hell would come knocking at this hour. I opened the door.

My family and Primrose Everdeen were staring back at me.

**oooo, nice cliffhanger huh? Incase your wondering, I was going to have Prim kidnapped by the capitol instead of Peeta. Then i decided that i couldnt stand to have prim being tortured, so i substited someone else.**

**Incase your wondering, I know Gale has sudden intense feelings for Madge, and its kinda odd, but when you're stuck with someone in the wilderness, you tend to feel for them. **

**Later on, there will be some Gale/Madge, Prim/Rory, and the classic Katniss/ Peeta. Hope ya'll like where this is going**

**~Reaper**


	4. Chapter 4: Rory : The Bombs

**_Some Prim/Rory in this one. Nothing too intense though._**

_Rory's POV_

I stumbled out of the Seam with little Posy on my back just as the bomb hit. Vick and my mother were in front of me. I ran all the way to the meadow, while an unnerving feeling hit me. I knew Gale would make it out, but I knew I was forgetting someone. _Prim! _I forgot Prim. I've always had feelings for Katniss's sweet little sister, so I couldn't believe I forgot her. I raced to the meadow where my mom and Vick were standing next to the other refugees. I put Posy down. "Ma, I've got to go back to get Prim!" My mother looked at me and silently nodded, understanding.

I skirted around the Seam and ran to the Victors Village, just as a bomb hit town. I ran into Katniss's house. "Prim," I called, my voice echoing down the halls, "Prim, where are you?"

I walked into the kitchen. Prim was in the corner, sobbing her eyes out. "Th-they took h-h-her," she whimpered, "the h-hover-hovercrafts c-came and t-took her."

"C'mon Prim, we don't have time for that, they're bombing district twelve." I said, grabbing her wrist. She just sat there. Primrose Everdeen, who never lost hope, has been broken by the capitol. Without thinking, I grab her by the waist and sling her over my shoulder. She just lies there like a limp ragdoll, losing all hope. I run out of the house. Skirting around the now charred Seam, I run to the meadow, where my mother and siblings are standing.

"Is the poor dear okay?" My mother asks, her voice coated in pity.

"I don't know ma, she's been a bit unresponsive." I grab Prim's waist and lower her so that she can stand on her own. Prim just stands there, white as a ghost, while a bomb descends upon the Victor's Village. I grab Posy and put her on my back, while I grab Prim's wrist with the other hand. Ma has Vick in a strong handhold, and we start running towards the forest.

After what seems like ten minutes, we stop and take a break. We are next to an old oak tree, one that Gale's shown me on the one occasion he's taken me to the forest. It was the only landmark that was familiar to me. Prim collapses on it and starts sobbing her eyes out. Posy is comforting her.

"Prim, why awe you cwying?" Posy asks, not being able to pronounce the last two r's right. When Prim doesn't respond, Posy goes behind her and starts braiding her beautiful golden hair. Prim has come a long way since the beginning of the rebellion, when she was reaped. She is no longer that scared twelve year old girl whose sister volunteered for her. Prim is now a strong, loyal, and no longer afraid. We are both fourteen, and slowly becoming adults. Yet the capitol, by taking Mrs. Everdeen away from her, has broken her. I could understand. Prim had nobody left. Her father died in the mines, Katniss supposedly died when the arena exploded during the Quarter Quell, and now her mother was taken by the capitol. Poor, delicate Primrose has been broken. If I ever meet that asshole Snow, I'm sending a knife through his heart.

I went over and wrapped an arm around her, comforting her. She turns to me and starts crying into my shirt, completely soaking it. If anybody but Prim would've done that, I would've been grossed out, but as I said before, I have feelings for Primrose Everdeen, and I will do whatever it takes to protect her. Ma looks at me with an amused expression and a mischievous glint in her eye, making me wonder what she's up to. Prim finally stops sobbing. I wait a little while before looking over my shoulder to find her asleep, hugging my arm. Vick comes over with Posy.

"Gross, she drooled on him," he says and Posy bursts into a fit of giggles. I swear, Vick is the most immature, insensitive eleven years old I know. I whap him upside the head.

"Vick, you jerk, that's not drool, its tears. Mrs. Everdeen just got taken by the Capitol. How would you feel if the Capitol kidnapped Ma?" When Posy bursts into tears, I know I've said the wrong thing. Vick frowns and goes to comfort Posy. Ma comes over to me.

"Rory, are you okay with carrying Prim?" she asks me. I nod.

"If you're okay with it, I think I know a place where we can stay. Your father and Mr. Everdeen had a lodge a little ways from here. Chances are, there's food and shelter there, and if Gales alive." She wavers a little, "If Gale's alive, best chance he'll probably be there."

I nod in solemn agreement, then sling Prim on my back piggy back style. She subconsciously wraps her legs around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder. Vick has Posy on his back, and Ma has the emergency packs full of food. We silently trudge through the forest, following Ma to the lake. We go around in a circle once, and Ma curses her memory underneath her breath. I raise my eyebrow at her, and she glares at me. Slowly her expression softens. She mutters something about how I look so much like Gale. She turns around with a dejected look on her face.

We trudge for what seems like another hour, and then take a small break. Prim slowly wakes up, and once she realizes she's on my back, she gets down and starts blushing. I can feel my ears getting warm. We continue trudging.

Finally, after multiple wrong turns, we arrive at the cabin. We are all exhausted and hungry. We all go to the door and knock. We can see a light through the window, and cursing as someone comes towards the door.

The door opens, and my bruised, battered up brother steps outside.

**soo, do you guys like it. ive updated four times in one week. my fingers are about to fall off. well, im trying to update as much as i can before i go on vacation, but im only human. ill try**

**~Reaper**


	5. Chapter 5: Peeta : Realizations

_Peeta's POV_

I see a bright light, and sink into gray oblivion. A hovercraft picks me up. _Am I dead_? No, death is not this painful, unless you are roasting in hell. I doubt I've done anything bad enough to deserve hell. I hear people talking. Suddenly, I feel a cold liquid enter my arm, and my vision goes black.

_I'm sitting in a meadow. The sunset is turning the sky my favorite color of orange. Katniss is lying in my lap, and I'm subconsciously braiding daisies through her hair. I realize with a start that this is the meadow in district 12. The air is clean, and there is no fence. Strange. I look down to see Katniss smiling up at me. She looks beautiful, with her stormy gray eyes and her signature braid. I look towards District 12, where life is peacefully going about. Suddenly, a strangled scream pierces my ears. I look down and see Katniss's face contorted into a look of pure horror, a red line across her throat. I look up and see Snow holding a knife. He spoke. "You should've killed yourself in the first games Peeta. She would've lived. Now look at what you've done. You've killed her Peeta. You should be ashamed of yourself."_

I woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. I was in a dark room, the only light being supplied by an illuminated monitor. I look at the cot next to mine. Katniss is lying in the cot, a bandage around her head and arm. I moaned slightly.

"Katniss," I said, while reaching out to her arm. Suddenly, a cold liquid seeps into my veins and I'm sent into a dark abyss.

_I'm sitting at my home in the Victors Village. I've invited Katniss over for dinner. I reach into my pocket and pull out an engagement ring. Yes, I'm going to suck it up, and ask her to marry me. I turn around and grab the cheese buns out of the oven, when I hear my doorbell ring. "Coming!" I yell, as I run towards the door. I open it, and see Katniss, Gale, and a little girl with them. _

"_Gale, what are you doing here?" I ask, meaning to sound rude. This was a date for Katniss and I, and I didn't need her friend ruining it._

"_Peeta, that's not how you talk to my husband." Katniss scolds. I choke. _

"_YOU'RE WHAT?" I yell. Sure enough, there is a wedding ring on her ring finger. I look at the little girl. "And who is this, may I ask?" I gesture angrily, hoping that it was Gale's little sister Posy._

_ "That's our daughter, Acacia." She responds quietly. I lose it. I start seeing red and I pin Gale up to the wall. "Why you son of a –"I stop once I feel a cold piece of metal enter my back. Katniss is standing behind me, holding a knife drenched in blood. I feel a warm liquid run down my back, as I collapse to the ground. I feel betrayed. "Why?" I manage to get out before I see black._

When I gain consciousness again, I'm lying in the same room. There is no longer a pipe going into my arm, and the cast that was wrapped around my waist was gone. I got up and propped my elbows underneath me. I was in a hospital room, but where? I look across the room and see Katniss still lying on the bed. She looks like she's asleep. Suddenly, she stirs.

"Peeta?" she moans weakly. It breaks my heart to see her in pain. I slowly get up and go to her bedside, gripping her hand. She has a strand of hair on her face, and I move to brush it off.

"Peeta? Is that really you? Where are we?" she asks. I don't answer for a moment. Suddenly, I'm shocked by her lips greeting mine. I melt into her as she kisses me passionately. For me, nothing else matters but the woman whose lips are greeting mine, the one I've loved for so many years now. We go on kissing until we hear someone clear their throat behind us.

"Well I see you two are awake." I hear my brother Rye's voice behind me. I swivel around.

"Rye? Where the heck are we?"

"You my friend are in district 13."

Katniss and I stare at him dumbfounded. District 13 actually exists? How come we didn't know of this earlier?

"Well, I'm gonna leave now. If you two want to get back to your make-out session, you can." He grins goofily and turns to leave.

"Rye you idiot, you don't think I'd be glad to see my brother after however many days I've been out?" I went over and gave him a hug. "Where's Wheat?"

Rye's face immediately fell as he muttered. "Peeta, can you come out of the room, I need to talk to you."

I turned around. "I'll be right back Katniss and we can pick up where we left off." I couldn't help myself, and added a wink. Well, that made Katniss turn tomato. God, she is so cute when she's embarrassed.

I turned tail and followed my brother out of the room. He took me into the hallway.

"Peeta, you might want to sit down." He ordered. I sat. "Okay, I don't know how to put this Peeta, but, Wheat won't be around anymore." He muttered. I gasped. Being the bonehead I am, I automatically went to the weirdest possible solution.

"He's gone to the capitol, and he's working for President Snow!" I ask, with an air of shock. Rye glares at me.

"This is not the time to joke you asshole." He yells, "District 12 has been bombed, and Mum, Dad, and Wheat are dead." Rye is practically screaming. Wheat? My strong brother Wheat, who cared for me whenever our mother abused us. I looked us to him, and he loved me more than the world. I felt a pain in my chest. "No," I muttered, "No, district 12 can't be gone, Wheat can't die." I feel hot tears slipping down my cheeks. Suddenly, I hear a quiet voice behind me.

" D-District Twelve, i-is g-g-gone?" Katniss stammers, staring straight at me. She runs to me and buries her head in my chest. I hear her sobbing. "Prim, she has to be alive." Katniss whimpered.

We sat there in the hospital hallway, Rye, Katniss and I, sobbing our hearts out. It was a mess of tears in District 13.

**soo, you guys like it? Okay, so there is more romance here. You'll see some more later.**

**also thanks to Eliade-Chan for giving me my first review. I'll try to make the chapters a bit longer, i just dont do well using a single Pov for so long.**

**also, to RoryFaller, yes, Gale is a OOC in this fanfic. He's not so much of a jerk. The relationship between gale and madge shall prevail, even though it has its ups and downs. there is more Rory/Prim later in this fanfic, so keep reading**

**~Reaper**


	6. Chapter 6: Prim : Taken

**_In this story, Mrs. Everdeen is stronger, and not so self centered. She does not fall into shock as long, and she has a generally good impression. Just a warning. Keep Reading._**

_Prim's POV_

They took her, the Capitol took her. They tore her away from me, taking a piece of me with them. First Dad, then Katniss, now Mom. The Capitol has a habit of tearing the ones we love away from us. They always find ways to break us, and once they do, they use us as an example to show others their power. I watched her scream my name as they took her. " Prim!" she called out, her face full of panic and pain. I tried to run to her, but the peacekeepers kept me on restraint. I kicked and thrashed, trying desperately to grab her, tear her from their grasp. Her heartwrenching cries twisted my heart. " Prim! Whatever happens, stay str-." She cried, and was cut off by a peacekeeper hitting her across the head with a wooden pole. I screamed as her blood sprayed over the dirt. My mother, now hanging unconscious, was being carted off to a living hell, and there was nothing I could do about it.

One of the peacekeepers let me go and stared into my face. " Let this be a warning little girl, a warning of what the Capitol does to bitches like your sister. She had to pay the ultimate price, and her family will suffer for her trickery," he jeered and spat at my face. He left to follow those restraining my mother. The other peacekeeper looked at me sadly.

" He's horrible, isn't he? I will try to do everything in my power to keep your mother alive. Stay strong Primrose," he whispered in my ear before joining the other peacekeeper. I stood there in shock. The peacekeeper actually acted like he cared. His words alone could have him hanged, for they were a form of rebellion. I heard the hovercraft fade away, and I sunk to my knees. My mother was gone. She was on a one-way trip to hell. I buried my head in my hands, and emotion overwhelmed me. My mother… the only one I had left, was….. gone.

I don't know how long I lay there crying. It seemed like an eternity. I heard a blast outside. "_Great, they're killing people. I'll stay here. Atleast death will be a more lenient punishment, an easy way to escape the hell my life was becoming," _I thought to myself. Nobody would miss me, I had nobody left. The people of District 12 loved me, but not enough to break if I die. I felt a sudden pang thinking about Rory Hawthorne. Would he notice if I died? Would he care. Almost by coincidence, I heard a voice in the hallway.

" Prim. Where are you? Primrose. Primrose where are you?" His voice echoed down the hallway. He came into the kitchen. " Prim, we have to leave, right now," he urged, a look of panic on his face. I looked up at him.

" Th-they took her. T-they t-took her t-t-to the Capitol." I stuttered, and broke into tears all over again. Rory spoke up.

" Prim, we have to leave. They're bombing District 12." He whispered gently, while tugging at my wrist. My body hung limp as I was overwhelmed with sorrow. Rory must have lost patience, because before I knew what was happening, he slung me over his shoulder and ran out of the house. I hung limp, completely exhausted and teary. Around me, District 12 was on fire. The Seam was lit up, a pile of ashes on the dirty terrain. Rory ran me to the meadow, where Hazelle and the kids were waiting, and put me down.

" The poor dear, is she okay?" I heard Hazelle say distantly, her voice hazy. Rory responded with a few quiet words. Then he slung Posy on his back, grabbed my wrist, and ran.

We ran through the forest, hearts thudding. I don't know how long we've been running, but I'm too numb to care. I feel like a piece of my heart's been ripped out. My mother, who has always been there for me, is gone. The only time she has ever faltered was when my father was killed in a mine accident. She went into a deep state of shock afterward, but only for about a week. Katniss was able to bring her back. I inherited her healing powers and gentle demeanor and looks, while Katniss inherited my father's hunting ability, as well as his velvet tread and stubbornness, and his looks. I missed them so dearly right now. I feel empty, as if too much of me has been stolen.

I distinctly realize that we have stopped running. Rory is still holding my wrist, but gently, as if it is a delicate piece of glass. I look at Rory, for the first time seeing how much he's grown up. He is no longer that scrawny boy who always tagged along with Gale, the boy who always brought me daisies and flowers to put in my hair. He is now a strong, independent fourteen year old, almost a man. He looks strikingly like Gale, only not as hostile and dark, but a light, easygoing, sweet demeanor that makes him seem entirely opposite. I observe Rory for a little while before my sadness overtakes me again, and I start shedding tears, more violently than ever. I slump against a tree and cry my eyes out, not caring who was watching, or what they would think. I feel Rory's arms gently encompass me, and I sink into his warmth, accepting his sympathy. It felt good to have a shoulder to cry on, and soon I felt darkness take over, and fell into a deep sleep.

"_Primrose," my mother called, " Primrose, stay strong. Stay strong for me."_

I suddenly awoke to a light feeling. I squinted my eyes open, and realized I was on someone's back. Not just someone. I was on _Rory's_ back. I felt my face getting warm. I felt him shift to look back at me, and I swear, he turned the same color as a tomato. Rory gently put me down before starting off again. I followed him quietly, not wanting my tears to overwhelm me again. My mother wouldn't want me depending on someone else for comfort. I had to stay strong.

I silently trudged after Rory, not really paying attention to where we went. The kids all looked downtrodden and exhausted, leftover soot caking their tiny faces. Little Posy was the only one who was oblivious to the situation we were in. She was eight years old, but her brothers still didn't let her take any responsibility. _How I wish I was that carefree,_ I thought.

Finally, after trudging for hours on end, we came to a little cottage deep in the woods. A light was shining through one of its windows, and we could see a fire smoldering in the fireplace. Rory rounded us up and knocked on the door.

I nearly fell over with surprise when Gale answered.

**Okay, so im trying to put up as many new chapters as i can before going on vacation to india. im probably going to be back around early august, but the internet there is horrible. im going to keep typing chapters there though, and update all at once, so expect a huge flurry of chapters to come in around early august. Also, please review and give me some advice on how to improve my writing, or some requests you may have. I am also taking request for fanfics based on certain couples, or fanfics in a certain POV. some acceptable couples are:**

**Finnick/Annie**

**Gale/Madge**

**Katniss/ Peeta**

**Gale/Johanna (willing to, even though Gale by law of fanfic, is with Madge. I think this may be better though)**

**Haymitch/Maysilee**

**Prim/Rory (my personal favorite)**

**I will absolutely not accept any Haymitch/Effie. I cannot positively stand those fanfics. I mean, I love Haymitch and all, I mean, who couldn't love a drunk guy, but Effie sounds like a stuck up airhead.**

**I am also accepting requests for fanfics in a certain character's POV. I will accept these as long as you give a clear summary of the fanfic you want me to write.**

**Thanks for Reading!**

**~Reaper**


	7. Chapter 7: Gale : Falling for Her

_Gale's POV_

I looked at my family incredulously as they stood in the doorway. I couldn't believe they stuck this close to District 12 all this time. I glanced at my mother, who looked at me pitifully. My siblings and Prim stared up at me, their faces coated in soot. We all stared in silence for a long time before someone decided to break the silence.

" Gale, what are you doing outside?" Madge's soft voice said from behind me. I turned around to see her sitting on the cot in the far corner. She looked like a wreck, with dark circles underneath her eyes, which were accentuated by her pale skin. She looked sickly, like someone who lost a lot of blood. "She_ did lose a lot of blood," _I thought to myself. Almost at once, my mother and Prim were inside the door, asking Madge what happened. Rory followed with an asleep Posy in his arms, and Vick trudged inside last. Suddenly, the empty cabin was full of life. My little sister was asleep on the cot, and Vick was lying next to her, looking like he was on the verge of passing out. My mother and Prim were next to Madge, checking on her wounds and making sure she was okay. Rory was awkwardly leaning against a wall with his hands in his pockets, watching Prim work. I sat down in shock. My whole family was here, and they were alive. Battered, dirty, and exhausted to the brink of passing out, but still very much alive. Katniss's little sister made it. Sweet little Prim, who had to grow up too fast, was alive and still had a chance at living a good life. Suddenly, I noticed something was wrong.

" Ma, where's ?" I asked my mother. Almost as if given an electric shock, Prim jumped. Trying to regain her composure, she went back to stitching up Madge's back, but im no fool. I could see Prim's hands visibly shaking as she applied the last two stitches. Then, she bandaged Madge up and put her medical kit away. Prim stepped out of the cabin.

" I- I need some air," she gasped, and ran outside. Rory looked at me.

" I'd better follow her and make sure she doesn't hurt herself," he said, almost stoically, and then ran outside to join her. I stood there dumbstruck. What did I do? All I knew was that something very bad had happened to Mrs. Everdeen. I drew a breath.

" Ma, what happened to Mrs. Everdeen?" I asked, a bit quieter this time so that Posy and Vick wouldn't hear. My mother turned her solemn eyes to me, and it was almost like looking into my own eyes. My mother's eyes too were gray, but instead of being full of joy like my younger sibling, they were full of pain and hope. Her eyes showed a certain strength in them, the strength of a person who is doing all in their power to find happiness. Over the years, my eyes also started to look like that. Even Rory's eyes didn't always have the joy they used to. Life was playing a hard toll on us.

" Gale, honey, please don't mention Mrs. Everdeen infront of Primrose." My mother replied.

" But Ma, what happened to her, why isn't she here with you guys?"

" Gale, Mrs. Everdeen was kidnapped."

" WHAT!"

" Yes, the capitol took her away right before the bombing," my mother continued, her face growing weary. Mrs. Everdeen was her best friend, and had always been. I wasn't a very sentimental guy, but I couldn't possibly imagine what little Prim was feeling right now. She had lost her father in a mine accident, her sister to the Games, and her mother to the Capitol. She had nobody left, just like Madge. I sighed and ran my hands through my cropped hair.

" Do you think Mrs. Everdeen will be all right?" I asked.

"Gale, Callista is strong, and I know she will find a way to cope." My mother replied.

I sighed and turned around, heading towards the door. I was about to run outside when Rory walked in, holding a sleeping Prim in his arms. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, and he looked at her protectively. "_Ooo_," I thought, " _Rory has a little crush." _I made a mental note to make fun of him for this later. He walked inside, laying Prim on the bed. Almost instantly, her eyes flew open and she jumped up wearily, leaning on Rory for support. We all knew that there wasn't enough space on the two tiny cot's for everybody. All at once I heard decisions about who sleeps where.

" I'll sleep on the floor, Hazelle and Vick can share one cot, and Prim and Posy can share another." Madge said wearily.

" No Madge, absolutely not!" Ma replied. " You and Posy share a cot and Vick and Prim can share a cot. The rest of us sleep on the floor."

All at once, several arguments broke out. Everyone sacrificed a place on the beds for another. I sat in the corner, thinking. Suddenly, I had a great idea. I went into the storeroom and grabbed a bunch of thick winter blankets. I padded them on the floor, making a makeshift bed fit for two, and leaving a blanket for one other. I stood up and cleared my throat.

" Okay everyone, I have an idea. Madge, you share the cot in the corner with Posy." Madge protested but I quickly cut her off. " Mom, you share the other mattress with Vick, and Prim and Rory, you two share the blankets on the floor." My mother protested, but I cut her off. " Ma, it's the best way." I said. Ma looked at me. Something in my expression changed her mind, and she wearily trudged over to where Vick was sleeping peacefully. Madge was already passed out on her cot, breathing heavily. I quickly lifted up Posy and put her next to Madge, who instinctively pulled a protective arm around my little sister. Prim and Rory curled up on the floor next to the fire on opposite sides of the blankets, while I curled up on the spare thick blanket. It did little to mask the hardness of the floor, but I didn't mind, since I was used to sleeping like this.

Less than an hour after everyone had settled down, all of them were asleep. I felt a pang watching them sleep, watching their normally pained faces take on peaceful expressions. My mother looked younger in her sleep. She didn't look like the woman who had to find a way to feed her family, the woman who worked her fingers to the bone washing clothes for spare income while her son illegally hunted in order to keep them from starvation. She didn't look like the woman who had to constantly worry what hell her family would have to go through. She looked happy, almost like all her worries melted away. I looked at Vick, silently snoring. Rory looked like the fourteen year old he was meant to be, not like a boy who had to grow up into a man too quickly. Prim looked like the little girl everyone loved. Posy was cuddling into Madge's side, giving contented little sighs every once in a while. And Madge, well, Madge looked gorgeous. I mean, I always thought she was Katniss's cute little friend, and I didn't pay much attention to her, but damn, she was hot. The moonlight filtering through the window shined off her gorgeous blonde hair. Her face was calm, peaceful, and she looked like the sweet girl I've been delivering strawberries to for years now. She looked sweet and innocent, but I saw today that underneath, was a tough warrior, able to brave any fight. "_Oh, shit,"_ I thought when I realized what I was doing. _" Gale, you're falling in love with her_." I mentally scolded myself. Gale Hawthorne does not do poetry. I slowly lay down on my bed, using my arm as a pillow. I slowly watched her for a little bit longer, until darkness engulfed me and I fell into a deep sleep.

" _Gale!" Madge called to me, running towards me. We were in Town Square, but it was oddly deserted. An unnerving feeling came over me, and the back of my neck prickled. I saw a piece of metal sticking out of the ground. I realized what it was about a moment too late. _

" _MADGE! STOP!" I screamed, but it was too late. She stepped on an area about a foot from the piece of metal, and the mine blew up, blowing her body to bits. I felt pain as I felt something enter my back. I twisted around to see an arrow sticking out of my spine. A peacekeeper held the bow. I screamed as an agonizing pain shot through my body, crumpling me to the ground. I fell, and darkness engulfed me._

I woke up, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. I looked around. Vick was curled up at Ma's side, breathing with his mouth open. Madge and Posy hadn't shifted one inch. Rory and Prim had somehow rolled during their sleep, and now were right next to eachother. They were both facing eachother, Prim was using Rory's arm as a pillow, and Rory had his other arm slung over her in a protective fashion, while she was snuggled up into his chest. I smiled at Rory's small protective gesture. I got up and went into the storeroom to grab my bow and arrow. When I came back, a pair of blue eyes was staring at me.

" Gale, where are you going?" Madge asked me, sounding way more refreshed than yesterday. She must've had a good sleep, whereas I slept like hell had a hold on me.

" I'm gonna get breakfast," I said nonchalantly, so she wouldn't notice the slight tenderness in my voice. " You wanna come?"

Madge joined me outside the cabin after tucking Posy in next to Ma and Vick. I took her to the lake. I felt like fish today.

" Do you know how to swim? I asked her. She shook her head. " Well than, im going to have to teach you."

It took Madge only two hours to learn how to swim. I'd already caught some excellent fish, and Ma was inside cooking them. I showed Madge how to propel herself under the water. I ran onto shore to get dry and sit in the sun for a little bit. Madge continued sitting in the shallows, slowly splashing around water. She knew how to swim in the shallow part of the lake, but I was afraid to take her to the deep end yet. Madge was slowly inching further into the lake. I let my head loll back and enjoyed the feel of the Sun's warmth on my otherwise grubby body. When all of us took turns washing in the lake, we thought the dirt would turn the lake water brown. I basked in the sun for a little longer before I realized something was wrong. I could no longer hear Madge splashing around in the water. I lifted up my head and looked at the lake in time to see Madge's hand slowly sink under the water.

Madge was drowning.

**Cliffhanger! Okay, so Prim and Rory's pose when they were sleeping is based on my profile pic. I'm gonna update as much as humanely possible until sunday, which is when i go on vacation. After that i PROBABLY wont update until august. Ill try my best to update, but im only human. thanks to all of you who favorited my story. Keep the reviews rolling in!**

**~Reaper**


	8. Chapter 8:Gale and Madge : Saving You

**_Okay guys, so this is probably the last chapter before i go on vacation. I am so sorry, and ill update very quickly after i come back._**

_Gale's POV_

I see Madge's body disappear underneath the water. My body reacted to this sight before my mind did. I felt my stomach tighten at the thought of Madge drowning. I quickly threw off my shirt, and jumped in the water.

Right as I jumped in, I felt something hit my side. Numbing pain coursed through me as I convulsed in the water. I felt my lungs burn for oxygen. " _Gale_," I told myself. " _Go save her_." I quickly ignored the pain and rocketed down a bit further. I reached Madge just in time to see her eyes close. I wrapped my arm around her waist and paddled upward.

I burst through the surface, convulsing and gasping for breath. Prim was standing by the shore, a look of panic on her tear-streaked face. My family was standing behind her, staring in shock.

"Help me drag her ashore," I said weakly. Rory and I carried Madge into the small cabin. Suddenly, the inner part of Prim came through, the healer part of her. I saw a determined look cross her face. She began pumping Madge's chest, checking for breath every once in a while.

" Gale, blow air into her mouth," Prim said in a steely voice as she continued putting pressure on Madge's ribs. I was too panic stricken to be embarrassed. I sucked in a breath and put my mouth on Madge's. Immediately, I realized how cold her lips were. "_She's going to die_," I thought to myself. I blew into her mouth. Nothing happened. I took a deep breath and blew all the air out of my lungs. Suddenly, her chest heaved, and Madge started spitting out water. She weakly opened her eyes. I saw her stare at all of us.

" Will someone tell me what happened." I hear her say. I slowly take a deep breath and explain to her, blushing at the part about CPR. She turned red but looked at me with gratitude. My family and Prim left the room. I started getting up, but a sharp pain in my side drove me to my knees.

"Gale," Madge said in a steady voice. " Are you alright?"

" Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, placing a hand at my side, hoping the cut wasn't to bad. When I brought it back, it was covered in blood. "Dammit," I swore, and collapsed as another wave of pain hit me. It was excruciating, as if someone was lighting my skin on fire. I vaguely heard Madge screaming. I felt something being pressed into my side.

" Gale," Madge cried, " how did this happen?"

" It was nothing, j-j-just a sharp rock underwater, just a scratch." I said, while trying to prop myself up on my elbows, which was a huge mistake. I gave a cry of pain as I collapsed. Madge was screaming Prim's name. Her face hovered above mine, and my vision was slowly growing black.

" Madge, I love you." I muttered, right before the pain sent me to oblivion.

_Madge's POV_

I feel my body sinking through the water as I struggle to get to the top of the lake. I scream feebly, choking on water as it rushes into my mouth. I try to get my arms to paddle like Gale taught me, but my body was failing me. My lungs screamed for oxygen, and my vision was starting to go black. I thrashed feebly.

The last thing I remember before I go under is Gale's face.

_" Madge!" _ I hear a familiar voice scream faintly. "_Madge, don't you dare leave me!"_

I try sucking in a breath in order to respond, but my lungs can't seem to fill. I feel a burning sensation, but it is only subconscious. I struggle for a few moments before I give up. My body is not responding. I feel a pressure on my ribs, and the voice doesn't stop yelling. I hear murmuring, and the voice suddenly stops. Next thing I know, I feel air being pushed into my lungs.

I snap up, gasping in a breath, while coughing up water. I weakly open my eyes to see a soaking wet Gale standing over me, and Prim next to him. Were those tears in his eyes? No, I was probably imagining it. Gale Hawthorne does not cry. I propped myself up on my elbows and looked around. I was sitting next to the lake. The other Hawthornes were a few feet away, looking at me with great concern. Rory was staring at Gale in alarm. I heard Prim talk.

" Madge, are you okay? Can you breathe alright?"

" Yeah," I sputtered. " Yeah, I can breathe fine. Would someone mind telling me what happened?"

Finally, Gale spoke up. " You slipped on something and fell, and you ended up in the deeper end of the lake. I ran in to help you." He shuddered violently. " I got you out, but you weren't breathing, so….. Prim made me give you mouth-to- mouth resuscitation." Gale turned beet red after he said this. I felt my ears get warm, but I was grateful. If he didn't do that, I wouldn't be alive right now.

Prim and the Hawthornes walked out of the room. I smiled when I saw Rory go over to Prim and grab her hand. I turned back to Gale, who ran a hand through his hair. " God Madge, don't ever scare me like that again," he murmured quietly. I stared at Gale. Something looked wrong with him. He was pale and shaky. He tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell down again. I looked at him.

" Gale, are you okay?"

" y-yeah, I'm fine." He muttered, placing a hand on his side. When the hand came away, it was covered in a dark red liquid. Gale swore underneath his breath, and then collapsed.

"Gale!" I screamed, and ran to his side. He had a gash in his side and it was oozing blood. Too much blood. I pressed a hand over it, which caused him to wince.

"Gale, how did this happen?" I asked frantically, while grabbing a nearby blanket and pressing it against the wound. He looked paler and paler by the second.

" Oh, its nothing. J-J-just a sharp rock underwater, its just a scratch." He replied weakly. He propped himself up on his elbows, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse again. I screamed. I had never felt so scared in my life. All that blood, oh my gosh, I felt sick. And on top of it Gale's life was in danger.

" Prim!" I screamed, "Prim, get here fast!"

I heard Prim running towards the house. Gale looked up at me, and I watched as his eyes slowly closed. He muttered something underneath his breath.

" Gale, hang in there. Gale, no you are not leaving me." I yelled adamantly, shaking his shoulders. The blood was pooling on the floor now. "Gale, don't leave me." I whimpered as Prim flew in through the door. " I love you."

**I hope you guys like it. I know you guys hate cliffhangers like this. I know i do, but hey, i love tortuing people :D . Just kidding. again, ill try to update as soon as i can, but i cant gurantee anything. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Have a great summer!**

**~ Reaper**


	9. Chapter 9:Rory : Hovercraft

_Rory's POV_

I was talking to Prim when I heard a sudden splash. I turned around to see my brother's feet sink below the waves. He didn't come up for one, three, five minutes. I was starting to get scared. It wasn't humanely possible to stay under that long. I started panicking, and I could tell by how tight she was clenching my hand that Prim was no better off. Suddenly, Gale's head burst through the surf. He started choking up water as he paddled towards shore. In his arms was Madge.

He hauled himself ashore. " Help me get her up," he gasped. I lifted one end of Madge and he lifted the other. We slowly dragged her into the cabin. Madge wasn't breathing. I ran to my mother to tell her this, just as Prim was running to Madge, going into one of her rare doctor moods. When Prim is in healer mode, nobody can distract her. I just stared at Madge's unconscious body, as Prim attempted desperately to bring the life back into her. She pressurized her ribs, trying to push her lungs into submission. Gale was wringing his finger, watching Madge's limp form. He was shuddering, and there were tears in his eyes. Wait. Tears in his eyes? My brother, the strong, dark, attractive hunter, who's never shed a tear in six years, is crying? And what more, he was crying over Madge. I stared at him in shock. I distinctly heard Prim say something.

" Gale, I need you to give her mouth-to-mouth rescucitation." Prim said in a steely voice. Gale looked like he was about to argue for a moment, but something that he saw in Prim made him stop. He drew in a long breath, and lowered his mouth to Madge's. I covered Vick and Posy's eyes as he blew into her mouth desperately, trying to bring her back to life. Suddenly, Madge's chest rose, and her eyes snapped open. She gasped like a fish out of water, and started sucking in air madly. I wanted to go to her side, but somehow, my body wasn't responding. I heard Gale and Prim talk to her for a few moments. I zoned out and started daydreaming.

_ Prim and I were by the cabin, with the water lapping at our toes. Prim looked beautiful, with a white summer dress and her hair falling in curls around her face. We were holding hands and looking out onto the lake, while sitting on a little dock that I built. Prim leaned into me, her face full of happiness. A deep, contented smile crossed her face as the sun began to set. She looked up to find me staring at her._

_ " Rory, what's wrong?" she asked while stroking my cheek. I shivered, feeling her warm touch on my skin._

_ " Nothing Mrs. Hawthorne. Just admiring my beautiful wife," I said playfully, watching her turn beet red. She reached up and kissed me on the cheek._

_ " What did I ever do to deserve you?" She asked, kissing a line down to my jaw, and finally, my lips. She grabbed the back of my head and deepened the kiss, until finally, we broke away to get some air. Prim gave a content sigh and lay her head in my lap. I played with her hair until she fell asleep, illuminated in the moonlight._

"Rory. Rory, come on, let's go outside." I heard a voice say as I rose from my stupor. Prim's face came into view, as she reached out to grab my hand. She dragged me outside to the lake, where Posy and Vick were trying to splash each other. I slowly dragged my siblings away from the water, still a bit wary after what happened to Madge. I sat down by the lake, in the place that the nonexistent dock was in my daydream. Prim's hand was still laced in mine. I looked over at her slowly, gauging her expression. I looked into her eyes, and saw confusion, hurt, loss, happiness, and something else I couldn't identify. She looked out onto the lake, and slumped against me wearily.

" Prim, what's wrong?" I asked her.

" Rory, when are we going to get out of here?"

" Why? Don't you like it here?"

"Yes, but Rory, really, think about it. It may seem grand and pleasant now, staying at a place where there is shelter, and beautiful scenery. Here your family can't go hungry. But deep inside, you know that we cannot survive here alone. There is too much to risk, and we need different resources. We definitely can't survive with me being the only healer. I don't know enough Rory, and I'm deathly afraid someone might get hurt." Almost on cue, we heard Madge scream.

"PRIM!" she screamed, "PRIM!" My blood ran cold. Prim turned white and started getting up. She turned tail and headed towards the house. My mother, who was with my siblings down by the lake, grabbed their hands and started running towards the cabin,. I could still hear Madge calling Prim, and it sounded like she was sobbing. I sprinted towards the cabin.

I entered the cabin and the sight that awaited me made my blood run cold. Gale was lying passed out on the ground. Blood was everywhere, and Madge was sponging a bloody rag to Gale's waist. Further inspection showed me that it was a blanket. A blanket soaked through with blood. I felt bile rise up in my throat looking at it. Gale looked pale, deathly so, and I was afraid he might be dead, but the slight rise and fall of his chest convinced me otherwise. Prim immediately started barking orders.

"Madge, get some more blankets. Rory, go by the forest and get these herbs." She said, handing me a sprig that was in her pocket. "Hazelle," she said, addressing my mother, "grab the pot in the shed and get some clean water for me. Posy, you and Vick get me the flowers you found in the meadow earlier, the little silver ones with the blue middles." Posy and Vick pranced out, oblivious to the fact that Prim was trying to get rid of them. They hadn't seen Gale, since they were still outside the door when she started barking orders. I quickly ran out the door and ran to the forest, adrenaline powering my every step. My brother was on the door of death, and suddenly so. I looked around and found the little bush that Prim picked the herb from. I gathered a huge amount, probably more than necessary, and carried it with the front of my shirt. Then I turned tail and ran back to the cabin.

The forest was a blur around me as I ran. The only thing that mattered to me was saving my older brother. I reached the cabin sooner than was probably necessary, and approached to hear Madge crying. I walked in to see Prim slowly cleaning Gale's wound. It was worse than I had thought. A deep, sickly gash stretched from the middle of his ribcage to his hip. The skin around it was a purplish color, and blood was oozing out. Prim had a determined look on her face. I decided to leave her alone. I ran to Madge, who was sitting outside, and ran to her. Even though she was three years older than me, she still looked like a scared, helpless child. I rubbed her back slowly and handed her a handkerchief that was in my shirt pocket. It smelled like the herb Prim made me retrieve, but I think that Madge was past the point of caring. She blew her nose but continued to sob.

"Madge, calm down, he's going to be alright," I said, " if I know one thing about my brother, it's that he never gives up without a fight."

"B-but y-y-y-you don't unders-s-stand Rory, this is m-my fault. He cut h-himself o-on a r-r-r-rock while t-trying to save m-me. I should b-be dead r-right now." Madge continued to cry, heart wracking sobs that made her whole body convulse. I grabbed her shoulders and slapped her across the face. She looked at me in shock.

" Madge, listen, if its one thing my brother hates, it's someone who cries too much. Gale WILL be alright." I shuddered as a surge of emotions hit me. I didn't know if Gale would be alright. For all I knew, my brother could be dead by morning. My older brother, who was always there for me, who cared for me after my father died, was so close to death. All the moments that we spent together suddenly flashed before my eyes. Him carrying me on his back when we were little. Watching over me when I had bad dreams. Helping me with my homework. Teaching me how to hunt. Going hungry himself so that Vick, Posy, and I would have enough to eat. He never complained about how hard he had to work in order to guarantee our survival. He and Ma worked themselves to the bone, trying to find ways to feed us after Dad died in the mine accident. I was stuck in a world of flashbacks until a hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

I looked up to see Prim nudging my shoulder gently. "Rory, I need you to help me. Gale has a fever, and because of how weak he is, he may not make it without help." I nodded dutifully and went inside, where Madge was sitting on the cot next to Gale's limp body, brushing his hair off of his forehead. She looked like a wreck, her face blotchy with tears and her hair sticking out at different angles.

I turned to Prim and awaited instructions. Apparently she had given Gale stitches, so his side was no longer a gaping chasm. Prim turned to me.

"Okay, so take this rag, and sponge this cold water over his face. Call me if you need anything. I'll be in the kitchen preparing a medicine that my mother showed me how to make. It will help ease the swelling." I nodded, and for the first time, I noticed how exhausted she looked. Dark circles rimmed her bloodshot eyes, and her cheeks were sunken. Her beautiful bluish-green eyes were now a dull grayish-bluish color. I slowly looked back to Gale, and started sponging his forehead.

After what seemed like a few hours, I felt someone shake my shoulder. I looked up to see Madge.

" Rory, why don't you rest for a bit, I'll sponge him for a while." She said quietly. Too tired to argue, I handed to sponge over him and got up, wincing slightly as the feeling returned to my sore legs. Prim was sitting on the couch, her eyes drooping. I went over and lifted her into my lap. She rested her head on my shoulder, too tired to protest, closed her eyes, and let out a content sigh. Madge went over to Gale and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and I heard him whimper in his sleep. I looked back at Prim, who was falling asleep on my shoulder. I didn't understand if she liked me or not. She's been giving me mixed signals ever since this morning when she woke up in my arms somehow. I rubbed Prims back and gave her a kiss on the head. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a noise.

My heard started racing. This was a noise I knew well. I didn't know that they would find us here. They couldn't be here for us, right? I tried to calm myself down. " C'mon Rory, you're probably just imagining things." I said to myself, but it was of no avail. I could hear the distinct hum of a hovercraft as it approached the cabin. I could tell that the others heard it too. Prim was awake now, sitting up in my lap. Madge was stiff and frozen, unable to move. I wouldn't if I was in her place either. The same thing that killed her parents was coming back. I hoped Ma and the kids didn't hear it from the small back room where they were resting.

Madge, Prim, and I crouched down near the window and looked out. We could see the hovercraft as it landed in the clearing in between the cabin and the lake. An insignia was printed on the side, with the number fifteen in the center. "A mockingjay!" I thought. I looked at the others and pointed at the insignia. Suddenly, Madge's eyes widened and she ran out the door, waving her arms like a mad person. A soldier in uniform stepped off the platform, took one look at Madge, ran over to her, and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. Madge led him back to the house, her weary eyes gaining some shine. She walked in through the door just as Ma walked into the room.

"Rory, Prim, Hazelle, I would like you to meet my cousin, Hunter." She said, gesturing to the soldier. He was a young man in his mid-twenties, with choppy black hair and a muscular yet lithe build, somewhat like Gale. I looked up and jumped back in shock. His eyes were a reddish color, a color I had never seen in Panem, not even in the TV shows about the capitol. I stared at him, gaping. He didn't seem to notice, because just then, his eyes were trained on Gale.

"I-is he dead?" He stuttered, obviously looking at the long jagged line in Gale's side. I shook my head. "Okay then, we have paramedics in the craft, we'll see what they can do on the ride there. I looked at him in confusion. Was he working for the Capitol? Was Madge a double agent? Is she going to turn us in? These thoughts replayed repeatedly in my mind until Prim spoke up for me.

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked quietly.

"Why, to District 13 of course."

**Okay, so i added an OC. I finally got internet on my laptop, so i can finally update. I will post all the chapters up to fifteen here. If you guys are confused, than review me and ill edit the chapter so that its easier to understand. Okay, so the POVs change really fast after this, so you might want to pay attention.**

**~Reaper**


	10. Chapter 10:Peeta : They're Here

_Peeta's POV_

I walked down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. It had been two days since Katniss and I woke up in District 13. These days have been full of hope and longing. I personally still hope that my oldest brother, father, and perhaps even my mother had somehow miraculously survived, but a little voice in the back of my head keeps on telling me that it's no use hoping. I desperately miss my family. I sometimes sit up at night, in the family room that Rye and I share, and cry silently, reminiscing on the good times my father, older brother, and I spent together. There was the time that I woke up on the morning of my birthday and went downstairs to get some bread. Instead, I ended up finding the jam jar and I ate all the sugary strawberry jam. When I heard my father walk downstairs that morning, I hid in the breadbox and got stuck there. My older brother Wheat had to fish me out of the box. My father just laughed and gave me the rest of the jam.

I walked through the doors of the cafeteria, heard a loud "PEETA!" And felt a body hurl itself at me. I looked down to see a blond mop of hair that belonged to Delly. I hugged my best friend back, and tears that I had been holding back threatened to spill. Finally, we broke apart, and I held Delly at arm's length. She had lost weight, way too much weight and her golden hair had lost its healthy sheen. She was no longer the blonde haired pasty girl that I once knew. The girl that was standing in front of me had been through the war, and it had definitely taken a toll on her.

"Delly, how are you," I asked happily.

"I'm fine Peeta, how are you and Katniss?"

"We're fine. Come on, let's go sit down and catch up."

"Sorry Peeta, I have to go see Madge. She got here three days ago, and she hasn't left Gale's side since. I heard he's severely hurt. I'm heading to the hospital wing right now. Do you want to join me?" Delly said in her rapid fire way.

"Sure, let's go. I'll bring something to eat along with me, just give me a sec."

I ran to the other end of the cafeteria and got three trays of food, one for me, one for Delly, and one for Madge. I figured, heck, if she was stuck in a room for three days, she was probably hungry. I ran to Delly, who was waiting for me at the end of the hallway, and we set off.

"Hey Peeta, where's Katniss?" Delly asked me as we walked down the hallway.

"Oh, she's out hunting. I heard that she somehow convinced them to allow her to hunt. It helps calm her mind."

Delly and I rounded the corner, and crashed into someone. The trays were nearly knocked from my grasp, but luckily, Delly and the stranger caught two of the trays. The stranger slowly helped me up. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties, with black hair that was messily tossed and the creepiest eyes I had ever seen. I swear he looked like devil spawn. I yelled.

"Holy shit!" I yelled in shock after looking at his eyes. I stumbled backwards against the wall.

"Whoa, calm down, I won't bite," he laughed.

"Peeta, this is Hunter, Madge's cousin." She said, grinning slightly. I looked at her incredulously. Madge had a cousin? It seemed like Delly liked him. I smirked at her, earning a glare from her.

"Hello Hunter, nice to meet you. My name is Peeta Mellark."

"Oh, I know all about you. You and Katniss Everdeen won the 74th Hunger Games and survived the Third Quarter Quell together. You guys are quite the pair."

"Hey, you look familiar." I said, observing his face. I remembered seeing him before, on TV. "Weren't you in the Hunger games too?"

Suddenly, his face formed a hard, steely expression, and he looked away. "I'd better get going," he muttered while walking away. "Boggs needs me in the arsenal."

I looked at him as he walked down the hall, disappearing around the bend. Huh, mysterious guy. I wondered why Delly favored him. I turned back to her, and we made our way down to Gale's room. We knocked on the door. Nobody answered. Delly turned the doorknob and walked in.

The sight that awaited us was horrible. Gale was lying on the bed, his arm around Madge. She was lying down next to him, comforting him. It would have been a sweet sight if it weren't for the fact that Gale was as white as a sheet, and about a gazillion machines were hooked up to him, keeping him alive. I've always envied Gale for his silent tread, his hunting skill, and the things that linked him to Katniss, but I sure as hell didn't envy the guy now. He had an oxygen mask on, but his chest was moving up and down very feebly, too feebly. He had different tubes connected to his arm, and his torso was completely bandaged, and a small bloodstain was spreading down the side. His breathing was labored, and I was afraid that he would stop breathing any second. Gale Hawthorne, the strong, muscular hunter, and my girlfriend's best friend, was reduced to this because of what the Capitol did to his home. If I ever find the Capitol bastards that bombed District 12, I will personally feed them poisoned bread, and/or send a knife through their skull. I didn't realize I was staring at Gale in shock until Delly pushed my chin up, which closed my gaping mouth. I looked at her, a million questions playing through my head. She looked at me sadly, and her expression read "I'll tell you later."

We ate our lunch with Madge, since Gale couldn't quite eat yet. He flickered in and out of consciousness, groaning, and occasionally, talking. One of these times he was awake long enough to say hello to me, and another time, he muttered Madge's name, and whispered 'I Love You' right after that. I saw Madge's eyes light up slightly and then dim. We stayed for a little bit longer, and I finally worked up the courage to ask Madge how this happened. She drew a deep shuddering breath, and then started.

"I was escaping District 12 after the first few bombs started raining down. I found Gale; he was knocked out at the entrance of the Seam. I managed to drag him to the entrance of the Victor's Village before the bombs reached us. The next thing I remember is waking up in a cabin, and being hurt." She nodded at Delly, and Delly lifted up the back of Madge's shirt, revealing a long, pink scar that stretched from her right shoulder to her left hip. I winced slightly, remembering my own amputated leg that I earned during my first game. Madge went back to her story.

"Gale took care of me, and that night Hazelle, Prim, Vick, Posy, and Rory found the cabin and joined us. Gale hunted and brought us food while we decided what to do. He tried to show me how to swim, and he warned me to stay in the shallows and he sat on shore, basking in the sun. I wanted to prove to him that I could do it, so I slowly inched towards the deep end. I slipped on a rock and started to drown. When I woke up again, I was sitting in the cabin, and Gale and Prim were looking at me. I found out that Gale had retrieved me from the lake and he and Rory dragged me to the cabin, and they told me that I wasn't breathing. Gale had to perform mouth-to-mouth in order to bring me back. After that, everyone left and we started talking for a few moments, and then Gale tried to get up. He fell back down and I knew something was wrong. I found out that he got cut by a sharp rock when he swam down to rescue me. By that point, he started losing a lot of blood, so I called Prim and we tried to help him as much as we could. We heard something outside, and it turned out to be a hovercraft. I knew this hovercraft was not going to hurt us once I saw my cousin walk out. After that, they brought us here and the doctors looked at Gale, who was starting to breathe a little weird. Turns out, the rock which he cut himself on had some time of poisonous bacteria that is lethal to the human body. They're still trying to keep him alive, but it's me who should be dead right now. It's my fault Gale got hurt like this, and I still think that I should be dead right now." She muttered silently.

"Hey Madge, why does Hunter have red eyes?" I asked, trying to distract her. Her face suddenly gained a look of utter sadness.

"Peeta, when did you meet Hunter?"

"Right before we came here."

"Aunt Maysilee wasn't the only person from my family to go into the games." She mumbled quietly. I stared at her in shock. Another Undersee/Donnor had gone into the games?

"Hunter is my father's sister's child. His sister, Penelope, married a man from the Seam. This man was once a Peacekeeper who rebelled against the Capitol. Once Leonard turned 17, they rigged the reaping bowl to make sure that he got picked. He was picked for the 69th hunger games." I looked at Madge in confusion. That was the year that Johanna won. I stayed silent and let her continue.

"He entered the games, and became allies with Johanna Mason. He felt bad for her, but soon found out that she was a vicious killer. They made it into the final four, but he was supposedly killed by an arrow to the heart."

"Madge, that can't be true, all the other tributes but Johanna are dead, there must be a mistake." I said.

"No Peeta, let me finish. Apparently, the capitol keeps the tributes that are very close to death alive, but alters them in some way so that nobody recognizes them instantaneously. My cousin was lucky that he only had his eyes and hair altered. Some of the surviving tributes had their faces and bodies altered, and some were made into Avoxes. Hunter used to have beautiful blonde hair and gray eyes, but the capitol changed that permanently."

My mind reeled. They may still be alive, little Rue, Foxface, Thresh, Maysilee, and others. I sat down in a chair and pressed my head between my knees. It was a little too much to take in. I felt Delly's hand slowly rub my shoulder. I got up. I was going to tell Katniss. She missed little Rue far too much, and I wanted to give her hope.

"Peeta, one more thing. Don't mention Mrs. Everdeen to Katniss and Prim."

"Why not?"

" The Capitol took her prisoner."

**Nice twist huh? Okay, so im not going to get too far into the "ooo, they may be alive," thing until later. Im still trying to figure out ways to develop it. Okay, so imma gonna go upload the rest of the chapters now.**

**~Reaper**


	11. Chapter 11:Katniss : Coma

_Katniss's POV_

I fell onto my bed, exhausted after the long day I'd had. Coin wanted too many things from me, things I couldn't supply easily. She wanted me to film propos in order to convince the rebels to keep fighting. I tried to deny her the footage; everyone knows I can't act even if it's worth my life. Finally, after seven different speeches and a shitload of takes, we finally filmed one that actually worked.

I sighed as I stared up at the ceiling. District 13 actually exists. Even though I've spent a few days here, I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up one morning and it will all be gone, and I'll still be in the games, or the Capitol, or District 12. I turned around and lay on my stomach, playing with the curl of hair that escaped my braid. I was afraid to fall asleep, afraid that the nightmares would envelop me and leave me vulnerable. I looked around. My family room was bare, empty of any life other than me. My pearl was on my dresser table, the pearl that kept me from succumbing to insanity in the arena. The pearl that was given to me by Peeta.

Peeta. He has always been there for me. From the moment he tossed me that bread six years ago, to the time he saved me in the games at the price of his own leg, to the Quarter Quell arena, where he was willing to give up life in order to ensure that I lived, to this very moment. I smiled. I knew that I had found the one. I've always told Gale that I would never get married, never have children. I was afraid to allow happiness, in the fear that the Capitol would tear it away from me. It had torn my father away from me, leaving me to fend for Prim and my mother alone.

Prim. I desperately hoped my little duck was okay. Prim was practically my daughter, and I had cared for her ever since she was a baby. I loved my little sister so much it was unimaginable. Even though she was fourteen now, and strong and independent, I still see her as the little girl who was a ray of sunshine through the dark. I felt tears coursing down my face as I imagined life without Prim. Sleep finally took me over just as I remembered the look on her face the day I brought Lady home with me.

_I was running through the arena, mutts chasing me, the one in the lead designed to look like Glimmer. I ran, and realized that there were people running alongside me. Prim and Rue were on my left, running as fast as their petite bodies would allow. Gale and Peeta were to my right, Gale moving as silent as a panther, and Peeta with his loud but fast tread. Finnick, Johanna, and Rory were in front of me, running as fast as they could. We ran to the Cornucopia, where we would be safe. Suddenly, the forest vanished, and we were on the edge of the beach that belonged to the Quarter Quell arena. I dove into the water and started swimming. Rory took Prim and lowered her onto his back in the water and Gale let Rue sit on his back. Johanna was rapidly swimming alongside me, and Finnick had Peeta in his grasp. Peeta couldn't swim because of his metal leg. We emerged on the beach around the Cornucopia. Suddenly, the monkey-mutts and wolf-mutts both appeared in front of us, their savage teeth clicking._

_ I heard a cry, as Rue suddenly was overwhelmed by mutts. I cried out, trying to save her. Another scream alerted me that they had caught up to Prim. I screamed as they bit her throat, cutting off her mangled screams. I blocked my ears and slumped to the ground, wanting to escape, not wanting to stay here. I heard more cries and yells; Finnick, Johanna, Gale. Finally, I looked up to see Peeta get slaughtered, a mutt biting his chest, ripping open the flesh. I heard him cry out in pain, and collapse. Suddenly, the mutts disappeared. I ran to Peeta's side as the life slowly drained from his eyes. "Katniss," he choked out, gagging on his own blood. "I love you." Peeta started convulsing, and then went still. I cried and pounded on his chest. "Don't leave me!" I screamed, "Peeta, you'd better not leave me or I don't know what the hell I'll do!"_

_ I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. A mutt was charging towards me. I heard someone say my name as it charged at me, ready to rip my throat out. The mutt was getting closer, its jaws inches from my throat._

"Katniss! Katniss, it's just a dream, get up! You're okay, I'm here, we're all here!"

I felt strong arms grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. I opened my eyes and found those sapphire blue eyes staring back at me. I choked back a sob and started bawling my eyes out. I hadn't had nightmare for at least four nights now. This nightmare scared the hell out of me. Peeta hugged me close, stroking my hair and muttering soothing words into my ear. I slowly calmed down and relaxed into his warm body, my nightmare slowly leaving my memory. He smelled like rosemary and dill. "_He must be working in the kitchens." _I thought sleepily. Peeta lay me down on the bed and stroked my hair soothingly. He looked like he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his hair was a mess. I reached up and ran my hand through it, leaving it worse than it originally was. Peeta got up to leave. I grabbed his hand. "Stay with me?" I muttered, slipping off to sleep.

"Always"

I awoke the next morning to a blond head, snoring next to me. Peeta had stayed the night, just as he promised. I stared at his face and chuckled slightly. His face was smooshed against the pillow, and his hair was sticking on end and falling across his forehead. I brushed it off. His mouth was slightly open, and a small puddle of drool was forming on his pillow. I snuggled into his side, not wanting to wake him, but it was too late. Brilliant blue eyes snapped open the moment I touched his face. He smiled at me sleepily.

"Morning," he yawned, breathing slightly in my face. I scrunched up my nose.

"Gosh Peeta, haven't you heard of morning breath?" I laughed, getting up and walking to the bathroom to brush. When I got back, he was gone, leaving a little note in his place.

_Meet me in ICU Room 27. Grab three breakfast trays and bring them with you._

_ Love, Peeta._

ICU Room 27? Why would Peeta want me to meet him in a hospital room? I quietly made my way down to the cafeteria, and grabbed the three breakfast trays that Peeta asked for. I made my way down to the ICU room. I knocked on the door. Peeta answered, and he looked downtrodden. He stepped outside and closed the door.

"Katniss, whatever you see in there, do not react greatly. Overreacting in this case will not help anyone. I want you to promise me that you will stay calm." He said steelily. I nodded and walked in. I froze when I saw Madge. She was alive! I ran over to her and gave her a hug, and she crushed me in her arms. I turned around to look at the bed.

Gale was lying on it. I gasped. He was hooked up to a gazillion machines, and he looked pale and sickly. I choked back a sob, full of happiness and abject horror. I was glad he was alive, but in such a state? I was only able to look at him for a moment before he woke up.

"Catnip?" He whispered weakly, trying to get up. Gale tried to bring his arms up and prop himself up. Suddenly, he gasped. A bunch of machines came unhooked, and a red stain started spreading down his side. I stared in horror as his eyes rolled back in his head, and his heart monitor started beeping. Peeta rushed forward and escorted me out of the room. Madge started sobbing, shaking Gale's shoulders. Just then doctors ran into the room and escorted us all out. I sat in the hallway, my head in my hands. Peeta started rubbing soothing circles into my back. I slowly started to calm down. A doctor came out of the room, took Peeta aside, and said something to him. Peeta's face turned pale and then gray, and he sat down next to me. I nudged him.

"What did he say?" I asked Peeta gently. He put his head in his arms and grabbed his hair. Gale just recently became a good friend of Peeta's, so I see why he was stressing so much.

"Nothing," Peeta groaned.

"Peeta, what happened?" I asked once more.

"Katniss, Gale fell into a coma."

**Oh Katniss, you bad bad girl, sending your best friend into a coma. Anyway, i want to thank all the people that reviewed this story. I really appreciate your reviews. **

**Thank you Artist quest  for your 8 reviews. I kinda laughed a bit seeing you slowly understand the Katniss and Peeta thing. I hope you enjoy the next few chapters.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	12. Chapter 12:Gale : Awake

_Gale's POV_

My body felt like it was burning up, then freezing over, and then burning again. I felt pain in every part of my body, pain so intense, it was better to die instead. "Please_ kill me now_." I groaned every now and then, the blackness threatening to overcome me. I saw faces swim above me, first Rory, then Madge, then a few faces I didn't recognize, until the darkness took me prisoner.

I had a dreamless sleep. I flickered in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, Madge woke me up. I tilted my head up to see my best friend standing next to me, unforeseen tears slipping out of her eyes. Peeta was looking at me sadly, rubbing Katniss's shoulders, trying to comfort her. I tried to sit up onto my elbows. Suddenly, a sharp pain arched across my side. My eyes rolled back. "_I'm dying_," I thought, as the horrible darkness took ahold of me once more.

_"Gale, Gale honey, get up." I heard my mother's voice say. I woke up. I felt happy for some reason. I looked around to see Katniss and Peeta standing at the foot of my bed._

_ "Too lazy to get up on your wedding date?" Katniss teased, and I looked down to see an engagement ring on her finger. I knew she wasn't mine though, by the way Peeta was holding her. That was fine by me, Catnip would stay my best friend, and I liked it that way. I got up. Suddenly, flurry of people grabbed me and took me to the bathroom. Katniss's prep team, the ignorant little bastards, started working on me._

_ Half an hour later, I was shaved, trimmed, and plucked. They put me in a black suit with a blue tie. I recognized that the suit was from Peeta's victory tour. He was standing behind me while I looked at myself in the mirror, and he gave me an approving nod. He walked with me to the meadow. _

_ "Enjoy your freedom my friend, because you will lose it in a while too." I joked, looking at Peeta. He slugged me in the arm._

_ " Very funny." He said, giving me a goofy smile. "Good luck out there." Peeta went to sit down in one of the pews that were arranged in the meadow, right next to Katniss. He gave her a peck on the lips and started writing something down in the book she had in her lap. Most of the guests hadn't arrived yet. Rory walked up to me, his hand laced with Prim's._

_ "Ready for your big day Gale?" He asked, gently nudging me. Prim gave me a sisterly kiss on the cheek and went to help the flower organizers. They had practically everything set up and the guest were about to arrive in one hour. Suddenly, my hands started sweating. I was getting married today. I, Gale Hawthorne, was getting married today. I felt my stomach flutter nervously. I rubbed my palms on the side of my suit and walked over to Ma._

_ "Ma, where's Madge?" I asked her, gulping in some fresh air._

_ "Oh, she went home after the bachelor party you, Peeta, Thom, and your Seam friends threw together."_

_ "Can I see her right now?"_

_ "Now Gale, you know that you're not supposed to see your bride until you reach the altar."_

_ My heart swelled. I was marrying Madge today. I was about to make her my wife._

_ About an hour later, all the guests had arrived and I was escorted to the altar to stand by the preacher. I waited, and suddenly, a white figure stepped out into the sunlight._

_ Madge was beautiful. Her dress was strapless, and it had a lacy design that was tight around her body all the way to her waist. From there it flowed out, ending in a beautiful trail. Her tiara was made of small flowers, and her skin was flawless. She looked beautiful, with her soft white veil accentuating her golden hair. I breathed out a sigh. She was gorgeous, she was strong, and she was all mine. I watched as Haymitch escorted her down the aisle, by Katniss's demand. She finally reached me at the altar. The preacher began his speech._

_ "We come together this day, to celebrate the joining of this couple," I heard him say a few more words, but my brain wasn't really processing. All I could think of was how beautiful Madge looked._

_ "Do you, Margaret Delaney Undersee, take Gale Sagaris Hawthorne as your lawfully wedded husband?"_

_ "I do."_

_ "And do you, Gale Sagaris Hawthorne, take Margaret Delaney Undersee as your lawfully wedded wife?"_

_ "I do."_

_ "Then my the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."_

_ I leaned down and met Madge's lips with mine. It wasn't a kiss full of lust, just a short passionate kiss that seemed to promise a long, beautiful lifetime together. We broke away._

_ "Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Gale Hawthorne."_

_ The crowd let out a loud cheer and started clapping. I gave Madge another peck on the lips before they took her into the small makeshift building to let her get changed into her reception dress. I walked towards the reception. Peeta walked up to me, Katniss clinging to his arm. He had only recently become my friend, and he was great to be around._

_ "How do you feel man?" He asked, laying a hand on my shoulder._

_ "Non-Bachelor like."_

_ "Why, you miss being a bachelor?" He asked, sticking his tongue out._

_ "Nah, you're just jealous that I have such a beautiful bride." I bit back, smirking slightly. Katniss glared, but it was a playful glare. She gave me a friendly peck on the cheek._

_ "If you hurt one hair on her body Gale, I swear I will throttle you." Katniss said playfully._

_ I stuck my tongue out at her and walked to the party. Madge was already there, along with Rory. She was wearing a beautiful greenish blue dress that accentuated her eyes. I went over to her and offered her my arm. "Can I have this dance Mrs. Hawthorne?"_

_ "Why of course Mr. Hawthorne." she said gently, giving me a sweet smile. I swept her out onto the dance floor, where couples were already prancing around. Katniss, Peeta, Prim, and Rory were dancing together, having the time of their lives. Madge and I slowly waltzed around, stepping on eachother's feet and giggling slightly. I had never felt so happy. Peeta came over. "May I?" He asked, taking Madge's arm. I was reluctant to give away my beautiful bride, but I complied._

_ "Fine Mellark, but only for this dance." I said, giving him a glare. Katniss waltzed over to me, and we danced tripping and sidestepping eachother._

_ "You're no better at dancing than I am. It's a wonder Madge hasn't broken any toes yet."_

_ "Yeah, but Mellark and Madge make up for both of us."_

_ I waltzed around with Katniss for a little while, and then went over to a table to sit by Madge. I took her beautiful soft hands in mine and squeezed a little, which earned me a small smile. Suddenly, Rory walked on stage with Prim. Prim looked confused, like she had no idea why Rory had dragged her up there. Rory cleared his throat, and spoke into the loudspeaker._

_ "Everybody having fun? Okay. I would like to congratualate my older brother for finally entering a new life, one which gives me a new sister-in-law, and I wish a sweet future to both of them. Secondly, from one couple to another, I have something to say." He got down on one knee and produced a box onstage. "Primrose Lilac Everdeen, will you marry me?"_

_ Prim squealed onstage and flung her arms around Rory's neck. She was nineteen, but she still reminded me of the small, helpless little girl that I have known all these years. I heard Vick yell from the crowd._

_ "Jesus, what is it with everyone getting married nowadays?" He said. Vick had only turned sixteen recently. He was coupled too, with a nice girl from Town that everyone knew as Celeste. Posy was now thirteen and she had a boyfriend too. Ma cried a little when she found out. She said something about how quickly all her children were growing up. Posy was dating Thom's little brother Jack. She love him like anything, and they were the perfect couple, sweet and innocent. _

_ "You'll be next Vick," I said, snickering slightly. He turned a shade of crimson and turned away, blushing his ruddy little head off. I laughed and turned to Madge. I was just about to reach in for a kiss when I felt Madge stiffen in my grasp. I looked down to see a crimson stain spreading from her chest, dripping down her dress. I caught her as she collapsed, muttering something. She was dead before you could say damn. I looked around to see her attacker. President Snow was standing in the crowd._

_ "Too much happiness is a deadly thing Mr. Hawthorne," he cackled before he sent a bullet through my heart._

"MADGE!" I yelled, snapping my eyes open. I was in a hospital room. There was no longer blinding pain shooting down my side, just a dull throb. I looked around. A small IV drip and heart sensor was hooked up to me, but nothing more. Suddenly, I saw a blond head lift itself from my side. "_Madge_," I thought happily. She was alive, not dead. She looked at me, and then immediately tackled me in a hug, crushing her lips against mine. I kissed her back, putting my hand on the back of her head and deepening the kiss. We kissed passionately, and then broke away only to breathe. We sat there panting, looking at each other. Her eyes were illuminated with happiness. I looked at her.

"How long was I out?" I asked groggily. She didn't answer. "How long was I out Madge?" I asked again. She turned her head to me.

"Gale, you slipped into a coma. You were asleep for a month."

**Okay, so, I made Gale a bit more, well, romantic in this chapter.**

**I hope you guys dont mind that i didn't make him a snarky-arrogant donkey. I wanted to show the other side of Gale, the one that is hidden underneath that snarky-arrogant donkey. this chapter shows Gale's hopes and dreams. It also shows a bit of foreward. This chapter wont have a sequel until a few chapters pass. After this point, there is quite a bit of Prim/Rory fluff. Just a warning. I also might get a beta soon. My bffl shrimpmeisser, who also uses this site, volunteered to beta for me. I just cant figure out how to find her. Ah well, ill get one soon so you guys wont have to suffer through my bad grammer.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	13. Chapter 13:Rory : Injury

_Rory's POV_

It's been nearly a week since my brother fell into a coma. I was depressed as hell. My brother, one of the people I loved dearly, was so close to leaving me. The doctors were healing him while he was in this comatose state. They said that since the body shut down muscular functions greatly, it would be easier to heal him. I watched the scars disappear day by day, even the one's he got from the mine's and hunting, and I watched by brother get younger in his sleep. Right now what I saw was a man who did not have to toil in the mines, a man who looked nineteen, his age, and not twenty-five. I saw a man that did not have to go hungry so that his little brothers and sister could eat. I saw a man that lived a life my older brother deserved to have. Little Posy didn't understand that well. She knew Gale was hurt, and every once in a while she cried for her big brother, the one who's always cared and loved for her, but she thought that he would wake up soon, in a week or so. Vick was eleven, definitely old enough to understand. He sank into depression with me, not talking as much and crying almost every night. Me, well I had to stay strong for them. It had been hard when Vick and I realized that Gale could be gone for months or even years, stuck in a world far from reality. After realizing this, I didn't talk as much. I cried occasionally when nobody was looking. When Prim found out that Katniss and Peeta were alive a day after Gale fell into the coma, she glowed with happiness. She immediately told Katniss about what happened to Mrs. Everdeen. Katniss was mildly depressed, but it did not hide her happiness, one that shone through her, at the thought of her little sister coming back to her. Peeta hugged and kissed Prim on the cheek, smiling, but I saw him shed a few tears when Prim turned around. Sure Prim was like his own little sister, but I could tell that the poor guy desperately missed his oldest brother, who was lost to him forever, and it was eating away at his soul slowly. Peeta did not deserve that type of pain. He was a good man, struck by great tragedy.

Prim found out about Gale two days after he fell into a comatose state. She noticed that I was severely depressed, and slowly and gently asked me. I was able to hold it for two days, but you try lying to the girl you love and see how hard it is. On the second day I cracked, crying and telling the story to her. Any other girl would leave if they saw a fourteen year old guy blubbering like a baby, but Prim was different. She slowly took my head in her hands, brushed away the tears, and gave me a lingering hug. Prim had a way of making me happy, and right now was when I needed her the most.

Right now I was walking to Gale's room. I visited him once a day. Madge never left his room. I could tell that she loved him desperately. I enjoyed Madge's quiet company. She watched Gale, occasionally reading a book or ordering food to his room, or clothes so that she could use the shower implemented in the room, but never once leaving him. She was devoted to him, and she would take care of him day and night, sponging his forehead and arms, calling the doctors when his IV was running low, or when his stitches came loose. I could tell that Gale loved her too, the way he would watch over her while she slept in the cabin by the lake. I seriously hoped they would end up together one day, in a world free from President Snow.

I knocked once, heard a quiet "Come In," and walked into the room. Madge was sitting on Gale's bed, stroking his forehead gently and brushing the hair out of his eyes. I was touched by how much she cared for him.

"Any better?" I asked her.

"He twitched his fingers once today, but then went still. Otherwise, nothing." She replied in her sad, quiet voice. I sighed and sank into a chair, planting my head in my hands and squeezing my temples. I was getting desperate. I walked over to Gale's bed.

"Listen Gale, if you can hear me, please, please get up," I begged, silently shedding tears. Prim walked in through the door. She walked over to where I was and kneeled down next to me. I begged Gale to get up again. No Response. Suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore. Some animal inside me snapped. I lost it.

"Gale you asshole, you'd better get up right this instant or I don't know what I'm going to do. Don't you see how much people are worried about you, you little piece of shit? God, if you were my brother you would wake up right now and spare everyone the hurt and pain!" I started screaming and shaking his shoulders. He hung limp, his blanket sliding down, reveling his bandaged torso. His black choppy hair hung down, and his oxygen mask stuck to his face. Prim ran over to me, trying to pull me out of my rage, but I was too far gone. I started slapping his face, trying to beat the life into him. Prim grabbed my shoulders.

"Rory! Rory, get off of him! You're going to hurt him! Rory, get off of him right n..."she was cut off as I pushed her off of me, slapping her on the face in my craze. Prim stumbled to the ground, holding her cheek. I continued to slap Gale, trying to beat some life into him. Madge pulled me off of him, earning herself a kick in the gut that left her decapitated on the floor. Suddenly, a bunch of doctors came into the room, I felt a cold liquid seep into my arm, and I was gone.

When I came to, I was in a white hospital room. Prim was sitting in the chair next to the bed, looking at me. A purple bruise showed vividly on her cheek.

"Who gave you that bruise Prim?" I asked. She quickly covered it and looked away. Realization struck me.

"It was me, wasn't it?" I said, grabbing my head. Prim nodded and looked at me, tears slipping down her face. I felt horrible. What man would beat the woman he loved? I was a monster. Hot tears slipped down my face, and I didn't care if anyone saw them. This whole fiasco had left me drained, and the doctors left bruises on my arms and body. I looked at Prim.

"Oh Prim, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do anymore. Ever since Gale's coma, I've been feeling hollow. Prim, I'm worried that he won't come back. Prim, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." I buried my head in my hands and started crying. Prim enveloped me in a hug and started patting my black hair back, rubbing my back soothingly.

"Rory, I forgive you. You weren't yourself Rory; I would do the same if I were in your place."

"No Prim, why would you forgive me? I'm a little piece of shit. You wouldn't do the same if you were in my place, I know you wouldn't. Would you hurt the person that you love?" I yelled, accidently letting something slip. I put a hand over my mouth, pressurizing it, afraid that I would let something else slip. Prim covered her mouth, her eyes shining.

"Y-You love me?" she asked cautiously. I turned red and nodded, afraid that she would reject me, like Katniss rejected Gale. She stared at me for the longest amount of time.

"Good, cause I feel the same," she laughed, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I felt my face get warm. God, she accepted me. I felt a burst of happiness as I gave her a hug. Primrose Everdeen was my girlfriend. God, I never thought this day would come. We broke away blushing.

"So, I guess this makes you my boyfriend?" Prim asked shyly.

"Only if it makes you my girlfriend." I said. Prim's smile lit up the whole room. I had finally found a ray of light in all this shit that my life was becoming.

The doctor came in, and told me that I could go. I walked out of the room, Prim's hand in mine, and we walked down to Gale's room. I had to see how my brother was. I felt guilty as hell that I had hurt him, especially when he was hurt and in a vulnerable state. I walked in to find Madge crying. I went over to her and started stroking her back. She flinched and backed against the far wall, looking at me with a terrified expression.

"Madge, I'm sorry, I won't hurt you or Gale again. I don't know what came over me." I said, with as much sincerity as I could muster. She backed out of the corner and sat on Gale's bed, still giving me a cautious expression. Tears were flowing down her face as she stroked Gale's hair back. A black bruise decorated on of his cheeks.

"You know Rory; you made him move, just lift his arm and put it back down, but made him move nonetheless. It scared the hell out of me, because a comatose person does not come to that suddenly unless they are in intense pain. Question is, why would you hurt your own brother like that? You scared me Rory; it was almost if you weren't yourself. Look what you did to me," She said, lifting up the front of her shirt. A black bruise decorated her bottom rib. It was faint, but it looked painful. I stared at her, my mouth gaping open. I could not believe that I hurt Madge like that. I decided the best way to make up for it was a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry Madge, I truly am. I don't know what came over me. I haven't gotten a wink of sleep all week, and Gale going into a coma was truly terrifying. I know my brother will heal. He has to, he's Gale." I sniffed gently, not wanting to shed too many tears. Madge nodded understandingly. Her eyes flashed to our intertwined hands.

"So Prim, interested in Rory, are we?" Madge said snickering. Prim turned beet red and I felt my face get hot. We swiftly took our hands away from eachother. I quickly tried to change the subject.

"Madge, would you like to join us for lunch?" I asked. She sighed and looked at Gale.

"I'm gonna have to take a rain check Rory, I can't leave him alone." Madge said, adjusting Gale's oxygen mask. I understood. I would do the same if it was Prim on that bed. I gave her a hug and walked out. I walked to the cafeteria with Prim, using one of the abandoned hallways as a shortcut.

We were halfway to the cafeteria and well out of the hospital wing when we ran into Katniss and Peeta. Katniss enveloped Prim in a hug, and Prim hugged her and Peeta back. Suddenly Peeta saw me. His eyes took on a hard glint and he pinned me against the wall by the scruff of my neck.

"You're going to hurt her, aren't you?" He hissed, looking at me. I was frozen in shock, panic coating my features. Peeta drew his hand back and socked me hard across the face.

"PEETA!" Katniss screamed, trying to pry him off of me. He kept on socking me in the face, the ribs, the chest. It hurt like hell, but I took the beating.

"Peeta! Get off of him right now! You're going to kill him!" Katniss screamed, starting to cry. I was confused. Why would Peeta do this to me? He was showing his bad side. Innocent Peeta had a bad side that not many people noticed. All they see is a sweet baker boy whose life is full of tragedy. Gale always called him a spineless pansy, all the way until two months before the Quarter Quell, when he got to know Peeta better. Not many people think of the fact that Peeta has survived two hunger games. He could be vicious when he was angry, and he was angry as hell right now.

"Katniss," he said, still pinning me against the wall, pausing for a moment, "He's a mutt! He nearly killed Gale, and he's after you next! He's from the Capitol Katniss!" He screamed, continuing to beat me. I heard a crack and blood started gushing out of my nose. Another crack and a sharp pain in my chest proved that he did something to my ribs. I felt blood gush out of my mouth, and multiple cuts on my face. I didn't try to retaliate, I knew I deserved this. I cried out in pain as he punched my ribs again. Sharp, numbing pain shot up my body, making me want to crumble to my feet and die. Prim latched onto one of and Peeta lashed his arm out, his knuckles coated with my blood, and struck her in the collarbone. Prim let out a choking gasp and went down, crying out in pain.

White hot fury bubbled in my veins. Peeta could sure as hell hit me, but he was not going to hurt my girl. I grabbed one of his strong arms that had a grip on me, and twisted. Peeta cried out in pain and hit me with his other arm, which was free since Katniss let go of him in order to drag Prim down the hallway to get help. His fist hit my collar with a sickening crack. That bastard. He was only three years older than me, but he could hit like hell. I let loose my fist, which hit him in the mouth. He bent back, coming back with blood spurting out of his mouth and a split lip. I hated hurting anyone I knew, especially Peeta, but I was so angry it didn't register. Plus, I was probably hurt by that punch more than he was, based on the crack I heard when I punched him and the dull throbbing emanating through my hand. We exchanged hits this way, punching and dodging. Peeta turned to the wall, and grabbed a little handheld mirror which was lying abandoned there. Suddenly, he cracked it in half, and started swinging at my ribcage with the broken glass. I gasped and held my chest where a dozen deep cuts were opening. It felt bad, based on the open skin that was hanging. Suddenly, a burst of anger overcame me, powering me with adrenaline, and I turned around and started hitting him. It was amazing I was able to stay conscious this long, much less fight like a demon. I punched him in the face, my nails opening up a gash above his eyebrow. He wiped the blood away from his mouth and swung back at me. I dodged, aiming a kick to his gut. I hit a little lower and I heard him grunt in pain, and drop like a sack of rocks. I fell to my knees, exhausted. Suddenly Peeta got up, punching me in the shin. I could feel a bruise forming already. What was with him today? I had never seen Peeta this hostile, not even in the games. His eyes were dark and hard, and his face had a sadistic grin on it, like he enjoyed hurting me. I felt sick. He was going to kill me. I got up and started hitting him and dodging, hoping that Katniss would find someone and hurry up. Suddenly, felt a gust of wind behind my head. I turned around to see Peeta swinging wildly with a pipe. That bastard was trying to brain me. I punched him in the face again, resulting in a very satisfying crack as his nose broke. He grimaced slightly, not taking the pain well. I sunk to my knees, exhausted and light headed. I cried out in pain as I took a deep breath, and my ribs vibrated. I heard Prim yell my name a few times, and it sounded like she was being restrained.

Suddenly, a crack of pain resounded through my head and I started seeing stars. I fell forward, flat onto my face, crying out in pain as I fought the blackness that was overcoming me. I could feel my eyes roll back in my head. I heard Prim scream my name. Suddenly, Peeta fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He grabbed his head in his hands and started screaming. Suddenly, his body stopped quaking. He lifted his head, and his eyes were back to their original sapphire color, and had their look to them. His eyes widened and his face turned gray when he saw me, half-dead on the floor, with a bloody, battered face.

"Rory? Oh, Rory I'm so sorry," he gasped. He reached out and lifted me into his bruised arms like a baby, and started running down the hallway at full speed, yelling for someone to come and help him. I normally would protest if a guy only two years older than me held me this way, but I was too out of it to even try. I felt numb, like all the pain was slowly draining away. I felt the blackness close around me. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and I heard someone call my name.

"Rory!" I faintly heard a familiar voice sob, and I heard light little footsteps run down the hallway. Peeta was able to run me to the hospital wing and put me on a stretcher. My blood started soaking the white sheets as he ran me down the long patient hallway as fast as he could, pausing only to swipe away blood from his broken nose, or tears from his guilt riddled eyes. Was he crying for me? I could only wonder why my attacker was crying every time he glanced at me. A beautiful face slipped into view. She had a fully formed bruise on one cheek and one that was beginning to form on her neck. Katniss's face slipped into view next, shedding tears.

"Prim," I whispered, trying to see her through my squinted eyes. I grabbed her hand and winced as my broken finger's protested. "Prim, don't leave me, it hurts," I muttered, crying out from the pain that racked my body. Blinding pain arched through me, making me convulse and thrash around. I heard Prim scream my name a few times. Finally, I went numb. I looked up at her. "I love you Prim," I whispered, smiling what must have been a very gruesome smile. I was exhausted. Damn, Peeta could hit hard. I suddenly realized that all those hits could just as well kill me. I grimaced in pain.

Prim looked at me for a single moment, and swooped down. Next thing I know, Prim's lips are full on mine. I faintly heard Katniss and Peeta gasp, but for the moment, all that mattered to me was this beautiful girl who loved me so dearly. All my senses were on alert. I started feeling lightheaded, either from the kiss or the loss of blood. I vaguely felt the cart stop. I grabbed the back of Prim's head, deepening the kiss and making her moan. She ran her hands through my hair passionately, making it stick up in all directions, the blood holding it in place. Her tongue entered my mouth and I gasped into her mouth slightly as she started sucking on my lip. Dang, I didn't think in a million years innocent little Primrose would make such a bold move. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, exploring it, causing her to moan. My bloody hands slipped up the back of her shirt, onto her warm back, and she gasped, slipping her hands to the small of my back, taking my shirt off, and running her hands up and down my muscular back. It felt so good, and I got that familiar feeling I got whenever I saw her. We stayed there making out for what felt like eternity, but in reality was really only about two minutes, until Peeta cleared his throat. Prim pulled away, her face lightly coated in my blood, and she was shedding tears. I smiled up at her. Damn, I must have looked like hell. I reached up to kiss her again but she stopped me.

"You're starting to bleed badly again," she said as she started wheeling my stretcher down into the abandoned hallway. Peeta was looking straight ahead, smirking slightly every time he looked at us, but his expression still read shock and guilt. Katniss looked like she was going to keel over from shock, and she started clinging to Peeta's arm to gain some stability, while they both remained running. I smirked through my bloody lips, but stopped as another arc of pain shot through my body, worse than ever. I grabbed onto the blankets on the stretcher and cried out, trying to find a way to ease the pain. It was getting increasingly hard to stay conscious, and the numbness was wearing off, making me fully feel how badly I'd gotten hurt. I faintly heard myself scream, unable to breathe properly due to my broken/bruised ribs. I choked on the blood that was gushing from my nose and mouth, and I convulsed on the stretcher, making Prim cry out in fright. The pain was unbearable. Peeta, Katniss and Prim were crying, and yelling at me to stay awake. I continued convulsing in pain, feeling dizzy.

"_I'm going to die_," I thought vaguely. District 13's hospital was huge, and many passages were abandoned. It would take forever for them to find the right hallway. The pain was worse now, blinding me and making me grimace and cry out occasionally. It was a wonder that I'd stayed conscious for this long, and I wasn't sure I could keep it up for much longer. I looked around at everyone's faces. Prim was holding my hand as she pushed the automatically stabilizing stretcher. She had a determined look on her face. Peeta's face was contorted in pain, like the guilt was killing him. He looked deeply angry at himself, and I was afraid he would do something to hurt himself. He took the stretcher from Prim and started pushing, making it go a little bit faster. Prim held onto my good hand and started to brush the hair back from my face. She took her handkerchief out of her pocket and started dabbing the blood off of my face. I winced slightly but didn't complain. Prim's healer hands quickly covered with blood as she started probing my ribcage, scouting the damage. I cried out in pain as she touched the hurt rib, and the slashes. Suddenly, I heard voices at the end of the hallway. I heard people running towards the stretcher, and Katniss and Peeta saying something. They started wheeling me towards the stretcher elevator. A sharp pain shot up my side, and I started to buck, crying out. I didn't care if anyone saw me cry or scream, the pain was unlike anything that I've ever experienced before, absolutely unbearable. I continued to buck like I'd been struck by a live wire, totally not in control of my body.

"He has a broken rib that has punctured the skin. He is going into shock." I heard the doctor say. I continued to buck in pain, unaware of anything else. I thrashed around in pain, and continued to buck, my breath getting shallower and shallower each time. I heard Prim sobbing next to the stretcher as they pulled it along as fast as they could. I could faintly hear voices, but nothing really registered other than blinding pain. Prim grabbed onto my hand and started rubbing circle around the knuckles. I latched onto her hand, and heard her wince slightly as I squeezed it hard. The pain was intense, and I could tell I was squeezing her hand way too hard. It started turning purple around the edges. I continued to buck, each time getting weaker and weaker.

"Hold on Rory, stay with me. Rory, please, stay with me, don't leave me," Prim sobbed. I gave a final buck and gave out, unable to move. My eyes rolled back and I vaguely heard voices, but they were very fuzzy and sounded panicked. My eyes closed and I started to float away.

"Hurry up!" I heard the doctor yell in a panicked voice. "His heart has stopped! Some one hand me the defibrillator paddles and get him onto the table!"

I faintly heard Prim's loud keening wail. I heard her cry despairingly, in a way that broke my heart, that is, if my heart wasn't broken already. If it wasn't working, and I was dead, why could I still hear voices, and feel pain? The doctors strapped an oxygen mask on my face, and Prim brushed my hair back, I could hear her still sobbing profusely. "Clear!" I heard a doctor say as pain arched up my chest. Another 'Clear' sent a burst of pain through my lungs, and yet another through the rest of my body. I heard hushed whispers as they continued to try. Another "Clear!" Five or six more times this continued, my body arching from each shock that they gave me, my eyes still closed and my mind floating away. I slowly started to fade, seeing a pinpoint of light in my vision. I couldn't breathe, and my head was getting fuzzy. I had lost all control of my body. Another five 'Clear's went by, my body limply bucking each time from the shock. I could faintly hear the doctors get more desperate.

I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes. All my good moments, from the time when I was a baby and Gale loved me dearly, to the time Vick was born, to the time Gale first taught me to hunt. My first toys, my first encounter with a wild animal, my first visit to the mines, they all flashed in front of my eyes. The first time I met Prim stuck for a little longer. It was about a month after Gale first met Katniss. Prim was only six and I had just celebrated my seventh birthday the week before. It had been nearly two months since my father died. I remember her hiding behind her sister's legs, in a cute little red plaid dress, with her golden hair in two pigtails. I didn't know I liked her then; she sort of grew on me. I remember going out for ice cream with her, a rare treat in District 12. That was one of the happiest days of my life. I wondered why I remembered it so clearly. It was as if I was sinking, in a very deep lake, unable to move and swim to the top. I suddenly heard my father's voice.

"Rory, stay strong. Fight Rory, fight for me, fight for your family, fight for your girl." He said. I saw my father's kindly face. A burst of determination passed through me. I swam up towards the top of the murky lake, and burst through the surface.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled again, putting the defibrillator paddle on my chest. Suddenly, and arc of pain shot through my heart. I could feel it beating again. I took a deep breath of air and gasped. My head fell back onto the pillow. All my senses were heightened, including my sense of pain.

I blacked out.

**This was one of my favorite chapters. It also includes a more...intimate scene. I cant get myself to go any further than that, sorry. Romanic scenes are not really my forte. Anyway, i hope you guys enjoy. I'll allow Rory to survive...or will i.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	14. Chapter 14:Johanna : Revenge

_The ghosts of my past haunt me, the innocent lives that have ended by the knife. Why must they die, while the sinful live? Why must they suffer, while the privileged one's laugh? I have seen the true nature of the world that I live in, and I spend each day a living misery, waiting for the day when I can enter the better place ahead._

_**Johanna's POV**_

Let them torture me. See if I care. Those Capitol bastards have nothing on me. I have nothing left to lose, nobody left for incentive. I don't give a damn if they kill me, but they'd better not expect me to come quietly.

It's been three weeks since the arena blew. Three stinking weeks in this hellhole they call the Capitol. They've beaten me, drugged me, and tortured me in so many ways I lost count. Screams of pain always echoed around me. The closest one was right next door, where Mrs. Everdeen was being tortured. I always called her Callista, even though she was older than me. I guess being neighbors in hell takes any respect out of you.

Right now I was listening to her sob. They were using Jabberjays on her, Jabberjays that conveyed Prim's and Katniss's voice around the cell. This was the torture that was most effective on her and least effective on me. She had so many people left to live for, I had none. I listened to her cry out their names, her pain wanting to make me bolt and comfort her. They also made her watch the tapes of her husband, Aaron, being blown to bits in the mines, stung by trackerjackers, eaten by mutts, and enduring multiple other types of torture. This made her cry the most, lingering on the dead, not the living. She loved Aaron very much, and this form of torture left her whimpering in the corner for hours after. I swear, she is the nicest woman ever, and if I ever get out, that bastard Snow better be careful, cause' I'll be the first one waiting to knife him in the back. I sat on my haunches, listening to the torture, reminiscing about all the people who I know who are now in the next realm; my parents, my older brother, my little sister, my grandparents; all those children in those games, all those children in my games; Hunter, my ally. Hunter. I miss him so much. He protected me in many cases, and without him, I would be dead right now. Johanna Mason does not usually soften to everybody, but I had seen something in Leonard that I liked. It was a fiery attitude, and a good mix of cunning and strength, not unlike me. I worked with him and took down so many careers, the same careers that killed my strong district partner, Leonard. I held Hunter's hand while he died; died from an arrow shot by the last career, the one girl I had to kill so that I would win. I wasn't thinking about winning then, just avenging Hunter. After I killed her, I held his hand while he died, muttering soothing words. I still wonder if Hunter was just an ally, or something more. I realize I have slight feelings for him, not for his looks, but for his cunning and attitude. He was like that fiery redhead in Katniss's games. I wouldn't leave him after he died, so they had to cart his body onto the hovercraft and pry me off of him.

_"C'mon, what are you waiting for?" Hunter said with a plotting smile. I followed him through the brush. "Johanna, come on, we'll never get the food and poison it if you go so slowly."_

_ "Damn it Hunter, why do you have to be so dang fast?"_

_ "Cause if we went at your pace, we would still be trekking through the hills back there Jo. We gotta hurry if we're going to grab the food stash at the Cornucopia."_

_ "Fine," I grumbled, cussing at him silently underneath my breath. He was a year older than me, but he acted like he knew everything. Stupid District 12._

_ We trekked through the rocky terrain, occasionally stopping to break and take a rest. The Gamemakers seemed to dry up the terrain behind us, definitely trying to get us all together at the Cornucopia for the showdown between the Final Four. We trekked for hours, going through multiple types of terrain, forest, jungle, valley, fjord, and field. This arena changed terrain fast, but it seemed like the Gamemakers were trying to edge us on, making Hunter and I more nervous by the hour. Finally, we reached the Cornucopia, which was standing on a rock at the base of a dazzling waterfall. We camped out near the entrance of the Cornucopia. Inside were three bags of food, each filled with fresh fruit, berries, vegetables, salted pork, lamb stew, bread, and more._

_ "We might as well eat, seeing that this might be our last night in hell." Hunter said, sighing. Only one of us could possibly make it out of the arena, if the other two don't kill us. We both understood those odds. Hunter looked at me, and then sighed gently._

_ "Jo, you have to promise me something, okay? I want you to keep yourself safe, you hear. Even if I'm in trouble, I don't want you to go off risking your life for me."_

_ "Likewise, is that a deal?" I asked glumly. I was afraid that we would be the last one's left, and that we would have to kill eachother. Hunter nodded. We settled down near the mouth of the Cornucopia, stuffing our faces. I didn't give a damn if we got sick from this; I just wanted it all to be over. We each agreed to take watches and spend the night, waiting for the others to get here. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. I couldn't use the 'weakling' ploy anymore since the careers had already seen how vicious I was. I faked being scared and weak as a strategy for others to avoid me. Hunter came through as cunning. I rolled up one of the three sleeping bags we had, and made it into a pillow. I agreed to take first watch. _

_ "Are you sure Jo? I mean, both of us can stay up if you'd like," _

_ "Calm down, I'm not going to slit your throat while your asleep. You're my only friend in this shithole and I sure as hell ain't gonna kill you. Go to sleep Hunter, one of us is going to die tomorrow." I said loudly. "And I'm sure as hell going to make sure it's me if both of us are left." I muttered underneath my breath so he couldn't hear me. I gave him a reassuring smile. Hunter looked at me for a moment, and then enveloped me in a hug. I sat there, stiff as a board, slowly melting into his warmth and hugging him back. I felt something wet on my back_

_ "There, there, it's alright, it will all be over soon." I said, petting his hair reassuringly. I felt hot tears slip down my own face._

_ "Goodbye Jo," he said, giving me a small kiss on the cheek._

_ "I'll never forget you Hunter," I whispered, planting a sisterly kiss on his cheek. We sat there in silence, looking out into the night. The waterfall glistened beautifully in the moonlight. "_Too bad this'll be my last beautiful view," _I thought bitterly. Why does the Capitol do this every year? I didn't do anything wrong, and neither did Hunter, or Leonard, or any of the other kids who were killed in these games. They were innocent people, with so much to look forward to; Life, love, kids, a family, friends. So much potential was wasted. The night moved on. I felt Hunter slump against my shoulder, and then his head landed in my lap, snoring. I smiled to myself. Maybe he wasn't so bad, even if he was a snarky, arrogant know-it-all with a huge ego to match. I ran my fingers through his hair, smoothing it off his forehead. You know how people say that when you sleep, you look younger. Well Hunter sure as hell looked younger. All the worry lines in his forehead were gone, and he looked peaceful, heavenly. I rested my head against the warm metal in the inside of the Cornucopia and closed my eyes. Horrible visions crossed my view and I snapped them open again. All the innocent people I've killed and seen killed flashed before my eyes: The career that killed Leonard, the bastard that killed Amber, Hunter's fellow tribute. She was only thirteen, far too young to be sent into these cruel games. I watched as she was devoured by mutts. Hunter cried afterward, shedding silent tears as we trekked on. _

_ I waited on, well into the knight. A small puddle of drool was forming on my thigh where Hunter's head was resting. Suddenly, just as dawn broke, I heard a rustle._

_ "Hunter," I hissed, "Hunter, they're here!"_

_ He woke up with a start, knife and spear at the ready. I grabbed my axe. This was goodbye. I gave Hunter a kiss on the cheek, a goodbye that would never be long enough. He looked at me with mournful eyes, and we waited._

_ Suddenly, we heard a scream echo from the bushes. Not even a moment later, a cannon sounded, and there was a triumphant laugh. Hunter and I stared into the bushes. Suddenly, he let out an agonized yell as an arrow entered his chest. He dropped to the ground, gasping like a fish and convulsing. The arrow punctured his lung. I turned around, by blood boiling, and looked at the girl who attacked him._

_ She was a career, maybe eighteen years old, with bright red hair and a sadistic smile. Her freckles look like someone sprayed cheese across her face. She had the glint on bloodlust in her eyes. I ran towards her, my axe swinging. She threw aside her bow and pulled out a knife. We met near the edge of the rock, metal against metal, sparks flying. I could hear Hunter gasping for breath, thrashing near the Cornucopia. Tears sprung to my eyes as I heard him gasp like a fish. I slashed at the career, who was off balance, and cut her arms off. She screamed in pain and slashed at me, hitting me in the stomach. I started gushing blood, while the career tried to tourniquet her wound, I held an arm to my stomach, trying to stop the blood. I worked up all my energy, and swung forward. My axe hit her head with a sickening crack, and she slumped into the water, washing downstream. A cannon sounded. I desperately hoped in wasn't Hunter's cannon. I ran over to him, still convulsing near the Cornucopia. _

_ "HUNTER!" I screamed, taking his face in my hands, pushing his hair back. He was still breathing, but just barely. I looked at his ashen and pale face, once so full of life. A sickening pain bubbled up from the sound on my stomach. I doubled over, crying out in pain. I felt a hand touch mine._

_ "Sur-Survive for me, Joh-h-hana," Hunter gasped out, clutching the arrow, he pulled it away with a sickening squelching noise. "L-live, for m-my sa-sake." I grabbed stroked his hair back, hot tears spilling from my eyes. I ran a blood coated hand over his face, leaving streaks._

_ "Don't leave me Hunter. I'm so sorry, I'm so- so sorry," I choked, sobbing. I started crying, not silently, but gulping, sobbing tears. I hugged his head to my body._

_ "I'm g-going to m-m-miss you Jo," he said, stuttering and trying to draw in a breath. I lay my hand on my heart._

_ "You will always be with me, right here," I said, smiling gently. He smiled at me and gave me a small kiss on the forehead. _

_ "An-d th-there wi-ll b-be a pl-pl-place for y-ou here, for-for-e-ever and al-always," He said, laying a hand on his chest. I continued to cry. "St-stay-stay," He paused, choking up some blood, "strong, f-for me Jo," I stayed there, crying._

_ "F-Forever, and Always," I said, drawing in a long shuddering breath, ignoring the pain that was wracking my body, making me want to curl up into a ball and die. Hunter finally drew in a long shuddering breath, and went still in my arms. A canon sounded._

_ "Ladies and Gentleman, may I announce to you the winner of the 69__th__ annual Hunger Games, Johanna Mason!" Claudius Templesmith's voice echoed through the arena. I was too tired to care. Hunter was dead, and I had a fatal wound myself. I collapsed on top of his body, while the hovercraft came to take us away. They loaded us on to a stretcher together, trying to pry me off of his body. Suddenly, something cold entered my arm, and the world went dark._

I came to my senses when a guard started rattling on my cell door, jeering at me. I buried my head in between my knees and smirked.

The day I get out, I will undoubtedly get my revenge.

**Ooooo, foreshadowing. Okay, so i just had to torture you all and drag out the Rory thing. Just to keep you all guessing. As you can tell, the chapters are getting longer. Its getting easier to write each chapter, now that i know where this is going. Keep them reviews coming.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	15. Chapter 15:Prim : Love

_Prim's POV_

I couldn't believe Peeta would just punch Rory in the face like that; it was just short of unbelievable. Peeta just punched someone who was innocent, for no apparent reason.

"Peeta!" Katniss screamed, trying to pry him off of Rory. Peeta didn't even flinch. He continued to punch Rory in the head, chest, and torso. I could hear Rory's grunts of pain, and the effort it took him to keep from crying out. It broke my heart, but I stayed frozen in shock, unable to believe what I was seeing.

"Peeta!" Katniss screamed, trying again. "You're going to kill him!"

"Katniss," Peeta replied, straining to keep his voice level. He pinned Rory against the wall, where he hung like a limp ragdoll, and turned around to face us, and we both gasped. Peeta's eyes were famous for being a beautiful shade of sapphire blue, but right now, they were as dark as night. His face read malice. "He's a mutt! He tried to kill Gale and now he's after you next! He's from the damn Capitol Katniss!" Peeta screamed, going back to socking Rory. I heard a crack and knew that Peeta had just broken Rory's nose. Another crack provided evidence of a broken rib. Rory cried out it pain, and that was probably what snapped me out of my shock. I latched onto Peeta's arm. Suddenly, his arm lashed out, coated in Rory's blood, and hit me square in the neck. I gasped. It was as if all the air was being sucked out of my body. I gagged and fell to the floor, clutching my throat and trying to suck in a breath. I could hear Katniss scream my name and start dragging me down the abandoned hallway. She pulled me around the bend and lay me on the floor, loosening my collar and trying to help me breathe better. It only took a moment for me to get my breath back, and another moment to realize that a bruise was forming on my throat. I touched the skin on my collarbone gingerly, wincing at the small throb of pain that emanated through my shoulders. I got up.

"I have to go help Rory," I said determinedly to Katniss.

"No, you are going to get hurt Prim," Katniss replied. She grabbed onto one of my arms, but my mind was set. I strained to get away from her grasp, thrashing and scratching. I managed to scratch her arms, multiple times, but Katniss barely registered the pain. She's been through worse physical pain, having been through two hunger games, so this must feel as if a mosquito is trying to stab her with a toothpick.

"Let…..Me…..GO!" I screamed thrashing and scratching. She held onto my arms with her freakish iron grip. I poked my head around the side of the wall. Rory was fighting back, already Peeta's nose was broken and Peeta's face was bleeding. Katniss was crying. I could tell that she was hurt. She was incredulous that Peeta could turn so violent. I didn't want either of them to get hurt; they were both very dear to me. I started crying when I saw Peeta's nails open a gash in Rory's cheek. I was amazed that Rory could even stay conscious this long. He looked exhausted, but fought with fervor. Suddenly, Peeta punched him in the broken rib and he cried out. I screamed his name. He dodged a punch from Peeta and hit him in the center, making him drop to the ground in pain. I saw Peeta grab a pipe from the wall and yank it free. He ran towards Rory, swinging it like a bat.

"RORY! RORY!" I screamed, crying and thrashing, trying to get away from Katniss. I turned to her. "Katniss let me go! How would you feel if the man you loved was getting beat up right in front of your eyes?" I hissed. I felt Katniss's grip slacken a bit as she looked at me. Her eyes were full of shock.

"Y-you, love him?" she asked, slightly incredulous. I nodded. She let go of me. I turned to corner to see Rory sink to his knees in exhaustion. I started to call his name when Peeta got up behind him, hitting him on the head with the pole and creating a sickening noise that echoed down the hallway. I screamed as Rory's eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor, not getting up. Suddenly, Peeta dropped to the floor along with him, grabbing his head and screaming, hunching over. I was horrified. What was happening to Peeta? I saw him get up, look at Rory, and turn gray. Peeta said something, tears streaming out of his eyes, picked up Rory in his muscular arms like a small child, and set off down the hall. That was no small feat. Rory was about four-fifths the size of Peeta, and he was no featherweight. He ran him down the hallway. I ran to them and met them midway. Peeta was loading him on a stretcher.

"RORY!" I screamed, taking his face in my hands and brushing his sweaty hair away. His blood was already staining the sheets, especially near his ribs, where Peeta had ripped his shirt and clawed at his ribs, leaving huge gashes. Rory looked pale, like he was draining of all his blood. He looked up at me and smiled, his teeth stained red with blood, His face all bruised up and one eye swollen shut. Peeta sure did a number on him. I turned to him and glared, but Peeta was too busy rolling the stretcher down the hallway, and wiping blood from his nose and tears from his eyes. The poor guy felt severely guilty about hurting Rory, I could tell.

"Prim, don't leave me, it hurts," Rory said, coughing slightly and grabbing my hand, wincing slightly as his broken fingers protested. I put a hand on his cheek. Suddenly, he cried out in pain. He started thrashing and convulsing, totally not in control of his body. I screamed.

"Stay with me Rory, Stay with me!" I screamed, trying to soothe him. He cried out and thrashed, tears slipping from his eyes. The pain must have been unbearable. My heart ached. Finally, he calmed down. He looked at me with those beautiful gray eyes.

"Prim, I love you," he whispered, flashing me a bloody smile afterward. I felt a sudden surge of compassion, and I knew I couldn't put this off any longer. Heck, it was now or never.

I reached down and kissed him.

It wasn't one of the cute kiss-on-the-cheek type kiss. It was a full on, lip-to-lip kiss. Rory put a hand to the back of my head, drawing me deeper into the kiss. I moaned, it was as if I was melting into him, as if we were one person, not two. I ran my hands through his choppy hair, the blood making it stick up and stay that way. I ventured a little further, putting my tongue into his mouth and sucking on his lip, making him gasp into my mouth. It felt so good. His tongue entered my mouth and I moaned passionately. He slipped his warm arms up my back, making me shiver with pleasure at the alien feeling. I put my hands under his torn shirt, easily slipping it off without stopping the kiss, and started running my hands up and down his back. He groaned, kissing me deeply. I felt something wet on my cheek. Blood? I wanted to do this for eternity, never stopping, always being with the man I love. I opened my eyes a crack and saw the gash on his cheek spewing blood. I knew I had to pull away. I slowly drew back, and took my mouth off of his. He reached up towards my head, maybe to draw me into another kiss, but I backed away, hot tears spilling from my eyes, seeing how hurt he was. The gash on his cheek was bleeding really badly, gushing blood.

"You're starting to bleed badly again," I said, keeping my face expressionless. I started wheeling his stretcher down the abandoned hallway. The hallways of District 13 are long and slightly slanted, so you don't need to climb any stairs or go through any elevators to get to the next floor. Very handy when you're rolling stretchers or wheelchairs, or when a decapitated patient needs some exercise. I pushed the cart with all my might, my puny muscles straining. I looked at Peeta's face. He was covering his hurt and guilt with a small smirk in Rory's direction, which he returned. My sister looked as if she was going to faint from shock, and she clung to Peeta's arm like a burr on Velcro. Suddenly, Rory emitted a cry of pain. "It's getting worse," I thought as I pushed harder on the stretcher. Rory thrashed around in pain, grabbing the covers. A few seconds later, he emitted a scream that made my blood run cold. His screams were so full of pain and agony that they twisted my heart. He started gasping for breath, the cuts on his chest bleeding profusely. I was afraid he might die. I started sobbing.

Peeta looked at me, and with a determined expression, he pushed the stretcher, faster and smoother than I had. I was thankful that he was keeping such a cool demeanor in this crisis. I felt a brief flush of anger towards Peeta, but I quickly dismissed it. Peeta didn't seem himself when he attacked Rory.

I took Rory's hand, making sure it wasn't the one that was broken. I used my other hand to brush his hair back from his face. I took the cloth I had in my pocket out and started dabbing at his face, trying to staunch the flow of blood. How in hell could Peeta have hurt him this badly? It was inhumane. I stared at Peeta for a moment, befuddled. He had a determined look on his face, and his hair flopped up and down with every clunky step he took. His metal leg was affecting his gait. I looked back at Rory. Cornering Peeta would have to wait. I was able to stop the flow of blood from his nose and mouth, but it looked bad. The cuts on his ribcage were bad, the once on his bottom rib had a flash of white in the middle, which I realized was bone. I felt sick, but I knew I had to hide it, for Rory's sake. I started probing his ribs, trying to put the pieces of flesh together, and clean as much blood as I could. My hands quickly covered with blood and so did the cloth. I grabbed the blanket at the end of the stretcher and used that to staunch the blood. The blanket quickly soaked, and Rory was getting paler by the minute. Suddenly, we entered the part of the hospital ward that was furthest down and still functioning. We saw some doctors at the end of the hallway, and they ran towards us, shouting something to the small nurse in the back, who gave a quick nod and ran. Katniss and Peeta started saying something. Suddenly, Rory screamed out in pain. Boy screams are not high pitched and keening, but low and full of pain, and his broke my heart into a shitload of pieces. I looked at his ribs and saw a broken rib protruding out of his chest. I was going to be sick. I put my head to the side and let it all out fast, while Katniss and Peeta talked to the doctors. I wiped my mouth and went back to Rory's side, where he was still bucking. I was scared.

"He has a broken rib that has punctured the delicate skin on his chest, he is going into shock." The doctor said, slightly paling. Rory gave another buck and cried out, making me scream audibly. I started crying. I grabbed his hand and started rubbing circles onto the back, the way I've seen Peeta do to Katniss to calm her down. He latched onto my hand, squeezing it from the pain. It hurt, but I barely registered it. My palm started turning purple, and he let go. His breathing was getting shallower and shallower. The doctors quickly started wheeling him to the Emergency Room. I ran alongside the stretcher, not able to keep the tears in. I sobbed audibly and started to whimper. Rory continued to buck, more feebly every time.

"Hold on Rory, stay with me. Rory, please, stay with me, don't leave me," I sobbed. Right as we had reached the Emergency Ward, Rory gave a final buck and went limp. I started wailing and sobbing, choking and gasping. The doctor pressed two fingers to the side of his neck and visibly paled. Katniss looked sick and Peeta looked as if he was about to faint.

"Hurry up!" the doctor yelled in a panicked voice. "His heart has stopped! Some one hand me the defibrillator paddles and get him onto the table!" I screamed. Rory was literally dead. The one I've secretly loved for so long is dead. My heart felt hollow. They strapped an oxygen mask on his face and got out the defibrillator paddles once he was placed on the bed. His blood quickly soaked the sheets, and the way he looked right now would haunt me forever. He looked like a corpse, with pale, raggedy skin and a ravaged body. I started hyperventilating.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled, pressing the paddles to his chest. His body bucked once from the shock, but the heart monitor they attached read nothing. They tried once more; nothing registered. I started crying and remembering all the times Rory and I spent together. The times we both went to the hob together, laughing and looking at all the things there. The time Greasy Sae gave us one free bowl of turkey soup to share, and we both used the wooden spoon to feed eachother, getting it all over our clothes and laughing hysterically. The time Katniss and Gale took me and his siblings to the meadow for a picnic. Another six 'Clear's went by, but none of them registered in my brain. I remember the first time we met, when he was seven and holding Gale's and as they walked down to the Square. I was only six years old and I was shy as hell. I was hiding behind Katniss, latching onto one of her legs. Eventually, Katniss coaxed me out and convinced me to play with Rory. We had a great time, and that was the first time I had Ice cream. It was an amazing night, and Rory and I even square danced.

"Clear!" the doctor said desperately, snapping me back to the present. Rory was still practically dead in front of me, his heart unbeating; the same heart that he promised to me. Suddenly, just as I had given up all hope, it finally worked.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled, pressing the paddles to his bloody chest one last time. Rory bucked up, suddenly gave a gasp through the oxygen mask, and fell back onto the pillow, unconscious. The heart monitor sprang to life.

I choked back a sob and brushed my fingers across his ravaged cheek. His breathing was raggedy and uneven, but not nonexistent, and I was thankful for that. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks. The doctors came over and ushered me out hurriedly. Katniss and Peeta were sitting in the chairs outside. Peeta had his nose fixed and his forehead bandaged, and his cheeks had stitches, but the haunted look on his face was what really killed me. Katniss was sobbing into his shoulder. I don't blame her. Her best friend had fallen into a coma earlier this week and now his little brother died and came back; except nobody broke the news to her. To Katniss, Rory was still dead as a doornail. I choked back a sob as I pondered this thought. The doctor started talking to me.

"Your friend there, we will have to perform an operation to fix his ribs and lungs. Apparently one of his lungs was busted, from a little shard of rib that entered it. You will be able to visit him tomorrow, but you can watch the operation from the TV in the little viewing room next door. Just press the button for room 213 and you may watch. We will try our best, but he is in critical shape right now. It's a miracle that he was able to stay conscious and alive for that long. Come, I will show you the viewing room." She said with a sad expression, as if the tragedy was weighing her down as well. She led us all into the room, but stopped Peeta.

"Mr. Mellark, wishes to see you." She said, looking at her clipboard. She led him to a room in the next hallway. I sat down

On the TV screen. A top view of Rory was shown. They were filming this from above. I watched as they pulled his hair back into a blue hospital cap. The injected a bunch of IV's into his arms. I watched as they started swabbing at his face with cotton, removing the blood and stitching up his cheeks and forehead. They rubbed an herbal ointment on each of his cuts and wrapped them, making me smile a little. These doctors knew what they were doing. They moved down to his torso, removing any strips of cloth that were left. One of the doctors, who had an especially grave expression on his face, took off Rory's oxygen mask and slipped a tube down his throat. The doctor pressed a button on the machine that was connected to the tube, and the collapsed part of his chest was blown up, making Rory gasp subconsciously. One of the doctors stuck his hands inside Rory's chest and stitched up the lung. I felt sick watching this, but I couldn't look away. I watched as they stitched up his chest, and cleaned up any excess blood. They muttered something among themselves, and one of the doctors left the operating room. Despair filled me as I imagined what the other doctor left for. A minute later, the doctor burst into my room with a blood testing kit. He explained to me what they were going to do.

"Miss Everdeen, we have been informed that Mr. Hawthorne's blood type is O+. Now you may know that this is a very rare blood type, but we have been informed that when you first came here and they tested your blood, you also tested for O+. With your permission, we would like to draw a few pints of blood from you that we can transfer to Mr. Hawthorne. He has lost a lot of blood, and we can use the frozen blood that we have stored, but at this point, he is at a critical state and we need fresh blood."

"Yes! Please, take as much as you'd like, just make sure that he lives." I said desperately. I was ready to sacrifice anything for him. If they asked me for a crucial organ in order to make sure he lives, I'll be willing to give it. I will be willing to give my last breath, if I could ensure that he lives a long, happy life. The doctor nodded, and then asked me to lie down on the couch. He put a rubber strip across my bicep and tied it so tightly that it hurt. Then he asked me to relax, and slid a needle into my vein. I could feel my blood leaving me I watched the doctor fill up the large bag with my blood. I looked at the TV, where the doctors were waving a strange machine that emitted blue light over Rory's body. I looked closely and saw that all the small cuts on his body were disappearing. It was incredible, almost surreal. Rory's face was basked in the strange light, and it looked ethereal. A look of peace spread across his face, as if he was having a good dream. His face looked more like him, and not a tattered piece of meat. He still had the stitches on his cheek and above his eyebrow. His taut, muscular chest was marred by the many scars and stitches he had. I suddenly realized that Rory was no longer the skinny, tall little kid I once knew. He was now a grown man, both in mind and body, and that made me love him even more. I realized how much all of us were growing up. I remember the day little Posy was born and already she is eight years old, and learning so much. Gale is almost twenty, even though we met him when he was thirteen. My own sister is seventeen, almost eighteen, and so is Peeta, which makes them old enough to marry eachother. They almost did, if it wasn't for President Snow's wretched Quarter Quell. I didn't notice that the doctor was done until he spoke.

"You care about him very much, don't you?" He asked, with sad eyes. I nodded. He didn't seem too hostile, about Haymitch's age. "I once had a girl I cared about like that, but, she's gone now," He said, looking away and swiping tears out of his eyes. I looked at him sympathetically, wondering if his girl was taken by the Capitol. He exited the room and a moment later, they injected Rory with the IV on the television. The operation was over; all they could do was wait. The doctor's replaced the tube with the oxygen mask, took Rory's hair out of the cap, and lifted everything slowly and carefully onto a stretcher. I got up, immediately being forced to my butt by the dizziness. "_Crap_," I thought. "_They must have taken a lot of blood_." I slowly got up and walked to the door, careful not to make any sudden moves. Katniss and Peeta were waiting for me outside. I looked at Peeta for an explanation, but his expression read 'later'. I shrugged and walked down the hallway to where they put Rory. We were allowed to enter the room now. Katniss excused herself and said that she was tired. I was exhausted, and my feeling's failed me. I felt bone tired, but I had to see Rory. I walked to his room.

He was sleeping on the bed, still. He had the oxygen mask on his face and a bandage around his head. His chest and torso were wrapped, and the blankets were drawn up to his shoulders. I sat down on the chair by his bedside. His breathing was even, soothing me. Peeta sat down next to me.

"Prim, Katniss already knows this, told her. You see, after I was rescued by the hovercraft after the arena exploded, somehow, a Capitol infiltrator switched one of my medicines with trackerjacker poison. This causes me to hallucinate. Somehow though, they advanced this trackerjacker poison so that I would attack Katniss. My feelings for Katniss were so strong, they fused with the poison, so it backfired. Now, if I am emotionally distressed, as I was after finding out that my brother did not survive the bombing, and something tips me over the edge, like Rory attacking Gale, I will lash out at the person who did the last thing that upset me, and my brain will somehow interpret that they are after Katniss next. I am so sorry Prim, I truly am. I don't deserve to live." He muttered.

I looked at him for a moment. "Peeta, it's not your fault, the capitol did this to you, and we will get them back."

Peeta smiled at me gratefully and exited the room. I stayed there, stroking Rory's hair. Suddenly, his eyes twitched and he woke up.

"Prim," he said weakly, grabbing my arm. I felt hot tears spill over, and I stroked his cheek. All the bruises were gone now. I sat down at the edge of his bed, and his arm went around my waist.

"I love you Prim," he said, a little muffled by the oxygen mask. I smiled, still crying. I got up to go to bed, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Stay with me," he said, weakly tapping the space next to him on the bed. He sounded weak, so weak.

"Always."

It was a little hard with all the IVs, and i tried as much as I could not to hurt him, but I managed to crawl into bed next to him. I slowly listened to his heartbeat beat in time to the heart monitor, and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

**Yah, this chapter isn't a cliffy. I nearly died trying to write the next chapter because of that. ill probably post the next chapter today. Lol, the time back home is 3:52 AM. Im in india right now, so its 1:00 PM. but still, i would be snoring right now, now posting chapters. Anyway, I told a good friend of mine that i would mention her name in my story. Her name shall be mentioned in the next chapter.**

**You'll laugh when you see what i have in store for you Jenny**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	16. Chapter 16:Finnick : I'll Get Her Back

**A good friend of mine will be mentioned in this chapter.**

Finnick's POV

It had been three weeks since the arena blew up. It had been a month since I had seen my precious Annie. The Capitol had apparently taken her prisoner and for all I knew, they were torturing her to death. She may already be dead right now, and I wouldn't know it. It was driving me mad. The only thing that was keeping me harbored to sanity was a piece of rope. I tied and untied knots in this rope every day, imagining the day my Annie would come back to me. Katniss joined me tying knots for Peeta. He had recently been instituted to the hospital ward. Apparently, the Trackerjacker poison that a spy from the Capitol had injected into him had backfired, and he turned violent. Apparently, he beat up Rory Hawthorne, who was now in critical condition in the hospital. I never knew Peeta could do something like that. He didn't seem the violent type. They were now checking his brain, seeing if they could do something to the poison. Poor Rory ;His brother had entered a coma just eleven days ago, and now he was close to the same state. I've heard that Hazelle and the little ones visit the two every day, but Prim never leave's Rory's side, and Madge never leave's Gale's.

"_Those lucky bastards_," I thought grumpily, _"They had their girl's with them, while mine is miles away, being tortured_."

I walked toward the conference room. Coin had called me for some reason. "Probably to shoot some more shitty propos," I thought to myself. I was a wreck. My fingers were bleeding from tying knots all day, and I haven't had a good night's sleep in days. My face had lost its healthy glow, and the dark circles underneath my eyes looked like hell. "If only the Capitol could see their dream boy now," I said sulkily. I walked into the room. At the end of the conference table was Coin, looking impeccably stupid as always. Next to her were Boggs and Beetee. Further down was Katniss, who was comforting Peeta. He looked like hell. Dark circles stretched under his eyes, and his wavy hair was sticking on end to one side. He had a haunted look on his face, and his cheeks were sunken, as if he hadn't eaten in days. His eyes were wide, with a look of disbelieving about them. Katniss was gently rubbing circles on his back, muttering soothing words. I walked over to the seat next to him and sat down.

"What's up Mellark?" I asked with fake cheerfulness. He looked at me and his eyes softened a little.

"Looks like pretty boy Finnick isn't as pretty as he used to be. What happened to you man?" He said, slapping me on the back. I looked at him.

"Well, you would look the same if your girlfriend and a good friend of yours were rotting in the Capitol." I muttered harshly. A hurt look entered his eyes and he looked away. I instantly felt bad; I shouldn't have been that harsh. I was tired, and hurt. Coin cleared her throat.

"I have news that will please all of you. There will be a rescue mission to the Capitol in order to retrieve lost friends and tributes." She said in her precise voice, the one that put me on edge. I hated coin, I naturally couldn't stand her, but those twenty-five words brought such a surge of happiness through me, I could hug her. Katniss's face lit up, and so did many of the other Victor's in the room. I was going to get the woman I love and my snarky, sarcastic friend back. Two people who I care dearly about.

"I would like to introduce you to the leader of the rescue mission, General Jennifer Schmitt." Coin announced. The General walked into the room. I saw the other Victor's eyes widen. She couldn't have been older than nineteen. She was small, petite, with large eyes that were magnified by her glasses. She had silky brownish-blondish hair that flowed halfway down her back in waves. She had a cold expression on her pale face, and she started observing all of us. I could see her mentally picking out who will be useful, and who won't. She had on a small General's vest, and my eyes widened as I saw the five stars pinned above her name. She had graduated top of her class at the military academy at thirteen. God, what was Coin getting us into?

"Hello. My name General Jennifer Schmitt and I will be leading this rescue mission." She said in a surprisingly strong voice. Her whole being seemed to command discipline. Just being in her presence made me want to stand up straight and salute. None of the snarky Capitol generals made me feel like that. They were spineless wimps. Now this lady was the perfect vision of a general.

"I will call meetings every Tuesday. I expect each of you to be here bright and early. Tardiness is accepted only twice, more than twice and you will be kicked out of the mission. Training is scheduled from nine to twelve every other day. Twelve to one is lunch, and then training again from one-thirty to five. From then you will resume your normal schedule." She commanded sternly. Coin was beaming.

"I shall leave you and your general to your duties," Coin said happily, and left the room. The door closed, and the General stared at it for a few moments. Suddenly, her demeanor changed. She smiled at all of us.

"Hello recruits, my name is Jennifer Schmitt. I will be your General. You may call me Jenny. I bet most of you are wondering how old I am. I am just over eighteen, one of the youngest generals to graduate from the academy. I am one of the top officers that have graduated out of the military academy here. I don't believe in making my officers respect me by fear, because that is what makes the officers turn on their Generals. I believe in inducing discipline through work. Coin does not approve of teaching this way, so I had to wait until she left," the General said, gesturing towards the door. I was baffled. I've always thought that Generals were all tough and stupid, but this one was the exact opposite. I decided that she wasn't so bad. She would help me bring Annie back. I could already imagine the moment my Annie meets me again.

" , are you paying attention?" Jenny said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked back at her. She was explaining the different form of training we were going to endure. She smirked at me.

"Well Mr. Hotshot, if you think you're all that; please list in alphabetical order, the different types of guns that we have in the arsenal."

"Err, I don't know Jenny," I stammered. Peeta smirked at me. "Why don't you tell me?"

" , if I knew them in alphabetical order, why would I ask you?" she said teasingly. I laughed. This girl was all right.

She continued explaining weapons and training procedures for another hour. It didn't seem like much time, partially because she made it sound so interesting. Even Peeta and Katniss were sitting up straight and paying attention. I now understood why this girl was such a good General. Her commanding officers respected her not out of fear, but out of pure respect.

"I expect all of you to be in the training room at nine o'clock tomorrow. We will start our training tomorrow. I hope that you will all forgive me if I am very harsh on you."

"Sure Jenny, no problem," Peeta said, "Plus, most of our Victor days are far behind us, we need the training." I smirked at him.

"You may need the training, but I'm the Capitol's Golden Boy. This body don't need anything," I said haughtily, flexing my biceps. His reaction was hilarious. Peeta's face turned a bright red, and his expression read embarrassment. Katniss placed her hand over her mouth to keep in her laughter, but she was failing miserably. She burst out cackling, and very soon, all of us were rolling around on the floor, cracking up; even General Jenny. We were all in good moods. All of the Victors had someone in the Capitol that they loved, and they were going to get them back.

I was going to get my Annie back.

**Hey everyone! Okay, so i uploaded, about seven chapters yesterday. Im going to be uploading a bit slower now since im still in the process of typing them up. I am also well underway with my other fanfic. I told my friend Jenny that i would mention her sometime in the story. I went a step further and made her a character. Hope you guys enjoy the story. I noticed a lot of people enjoyed the chapters that were in Gale's POV. I cant really show Gale's point of view for a little bit since...well...he's kinda in a coma. I will try to incorporate him as soon as possible.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	17. Chapter 17:Annie : Waiting Game

Annie's POV

Nobody thinks much of a mad girl. Nobody pays much attention to her, and nobody really thinks she is capable of higher thought. They betray their secrets in front of her, stupidly assuming that she won't understand that she is not capable of higher thinking. They are all idiots. I can understand every word they say, and every secret they utter. Nobody has seen me as anything more than a mad girl, nobody but Finnick. Sweet Finnick, who's been there for me ever since I was old enough to make fishing nets. I taught him how to make fishing nets, the very things that saved him from death in his games, and in exchange, he taught me how to fish and swim; two talents without which I would have died in my games. Finnick was the only one who would understand me, the only one who would treat me like a normal person. He understood why I would sometimes wake up at night, screaming my head off. He would comfort me, with tender words and gentle touches. I hated what the Capitol made him do, and I hated that they used me as blackmail. They made Finnick a prostitute, and he had to leave on Capitol visits every two months. He would cry silently every time he said goodbye. He was a Victor, which meant that he didn't need any pay, since he was filthy rich already. Instead, he charged them with secrets. Secrets about the dirty work the Capitol did; nasty secrets about Snow. He trusted me with these secrets, and he told them all to me, so that if he got caught, I could expose the Capitol in his place. So far, it has been the exact opposite story. The Capitol caught me as leverage, and now he has to expose them himself. I haven't seen Finnick in such a long time. Ever since the arena blew, I've been spending every day, hoping that he's alive. It has been mindless torture. The Capitol chose not to torture me, seeing that I was already half-mad.

_"He coming for me," _I told myself, walking down the hallway towards the prisoner cafeteria. _"Finnick is coming to rescue me." _

I walked into the cafeteria, and found little Rue sitting at one of the tables, her golden eyes shining. I discovered that the capitol kept tributes, the ones that were strong, brave, or kindhearted. They brought them back to life, and they kept them as prisoners. Little Rue managed to hang in there long enough to be brought back, and she's been living in the Capitol ever since. She is now fourteen, and a gorgeous young lady. I sat next to Rue.

"Hello Annie, how are you today?" she said cheerfully. I smiled at her.

"Fine," I said quietly. Truth be told, I wasn't fine at all. A dull ache in my heart resounded. I missed Finnick, and everything about him; his coppery hair, his gentle touch, the way he always smelled like a sea breeze. Without Finnick, I wasn't Annie the Victor. I was just Annie, the poor girl driven mad by the games. I was a nobody. I didn't feel complete without him, every moment seemed wrong. I was remembering Finnick when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked over to see a very familiar face.

"Johanna?" I gasped incredulously. Not her too. She was supposed to be safe in District 13. I suddenly grasp my head as an onslaught of memories hits me. I scream as visions of my games plague me. I see my district partner's head get sliced clean off his body. I saw the little girl who drowned for me. I saw the careers bodies, bloated and purple, after they drowned. I grabbed my head, and began to pull at my hair. Their screams filled my ears. I felt strong arms grip mine, gently coaxing me away. I hear them call my name.

"Annie! Annie, come back to us!" I hear my two friends scream. My vision cleared, and I saw Johanna's and Rue's panicked faces floating above me. I stood up slowly, afraid that the visions would come back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a peacekeeper walking towards us. I tried to keep a calm composure. I did not need the peacekeepers to arrest me right now. I continued keep my mouth pressed in a firm line, and Johanna and Rue did the same. The peacekeeper approached me.

"Miss, please come with me," he said, grabbing my arm. I was scared. Would they torture me? Johanna started to talk.

"She didn't do anything wrong you ass, let her go," Johanna yelled, trying to pry me away. The peacekeeper leaned towards her.

"Snow always melts, but the Mockingjay does not die willingly," He whispered, loud enough so that the three of us could hear, but soft enough so that our fellow prisoners were oblivious to what he was saying. A few were looking at the peacekeeper with wary expressions, but none ventured too close. Johanna's and Rue's eyes widened, and they let me go. I looked at them in confusion. Had Snow managed to corrupt them? The peacekeeper took me by the arm and dragged me to an abandoned hallway. He took me into a closet and closed the door. I watched in confusion as he turned on the light and checked around. He saw me watching him.

"Hello Annie Cresta," he said kindly, turning around. "Snow always melts, but the Mockingjay does not die willingly."

I looked at him in confusion. I remembered hearing someone say that to me before. Suddenly, a scene crafted itself in front of my eyes.

_ Finnick and I were standing on the beach. The sun was going down, and the reaping was tomorrow. The Second Quarter Quell was upon us, which meant that a devilish twist would be added. I shuddered at the thought of mentoring another group of children, only to watch them die brutally. Finnick's arm was around mine. We sat down in the sand, and I leaned into him, my sense of unease melting away. He suddenly turned to me with solemn eyes._

_ "Annie, I want to tell you something. I'm going to be going with Mags to mentor this year's children. I do not want you to come to the Capitol. And another thing, 'Snow always melts, but the Mockingjay does not die willingly.' Anyone who utters this phrase is nothing but a friend."_

_ "Why are you telling me this Finnick?" I asked in confusion. He flashed me one of his million dollar smiles, the ones that Capitol women swoon over._

_ "You'll see in time Annie, you'll see in time."_

My vision suddenly cleared again. The peacekeeper was staring at me with a worried expression. I quickly straightened my composure and looked at the peacekeeper. He looked familiar. He couldn't have been over eighteen. He had dark hair, and sea blue eyes like me. Suddenly, he enveloped me in a tight hug. I went stiff with shock, and I heard him quietly crying on my shoulder. Who was this man, and why was he hugging me? He broke away and held me at arm's length, looking at me with teary eyes and a sad smile.

"It's good to see you again, Aunt Annie," He said blearily. I was shocked. This was my older sister Esmina's son; her son who died with her on that fateful night fifteen years ago, when I was ten years old. I looked at him in shock. This young man was my sweet innocent nephew?

"Jackson?" I said, still a bit confused. He nodded, and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a crescent shaped mark. This proved that it was legitimately him. Jackson was bitten by a fish when he was two, and it left a crescent shaped scar. I hugged him close. My sweet innocent nephew, who I haven't seen in such a long time, has been returned to me. I hugged him tightly, as if he might disappear if I let go.

"I've missed you so much Aunt Annie. The day mother and father died, we were in District 3. My father was a peacekeeper, and he had to attend a meeting. Someone shot both of them down on the street in front of the Victor's Village. Beetee and Wiress took me in; they had recently gotten married, and Wiress was sterile, so they raised me as their own son." He said. I covered my mouth.

"Why hadn't Beetee told me this?" I stammered, hot tears falling from my eyes. Beetee never told me he had a son, much less raised my nephew as one.

"Beetee thought that when it was time, you would know."

"But, what happened to Electra? Didn't she go with you?" I asked him. Electra was this little girl that Jackson was best friends with when he was young, and she used to follow him everywhere, saying 'Jack-on! Jack-on!' She was only a few months younger than Jackson, but she was a cute little thing, with choppy black hair and electric blue eyes. Her grandmother on her father's side was Mags, and both her parents were Victors. She was adorable as heck.

"Electra is here too," Jackson said, his face taking on a depressed look. "She is being held prisoner here. I try to talk to her as much as I could, but it is hard. She is under surveillance. Wiress's aunt took her in, and raised her. You should see her now Aunt Annie, she's gorgeous." He added, blushing at that last part. I smirked at him. He turned to me.

"Aunt Annie, they're sending a rescue team from District 13. Finnick will be on the team, and Coin is sending one of her best Generals." He said, and he gave me the details about what to do and where to go. I kissed him on the head, and gave him one last hug.

"We should get out of here, the cameras will record this as suspicious activity," I said, heading towards the door. He grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

"When you get out there, try to limp and cry. The surveillance officers will think that I took you in there to harass you," he said carefully. I nodded, and backed up, tripping over a bucket. Jackson helped me up, quietly chuckling.

"Well, you don't need to fake that limp anymore Aunt Annie," He chuckled. I glared at him.

"Don't call me Aunt Annie, it makes me sound old. Just call me Annie," I grumbled. I imagined my sister's face, and tears flooded my eyes. I limped out of the storage closet, doing my best to mimic a hurt expression. Jackson put on a sadistic grin and pinned my arms behind my back. I limped as he dragged me to the cafeteria. He pushed me into the cafeteria, and gave me an imperceptible wink. He shoved me forward. I stumbled to my knees.

"That should teach you not to make a scene!" he said jeeringly. Wow, he had really perfected his mean voice. I looked at him with a fake hurt look as he walked out. Johanna and Rue rushed up to me.

"What did he say?" Johanna hissed. I looked at her, and gave her a hug. While I was next to her ear, I whispered the whole story to her.

"So you have a nephew, who's practically only seven years younger than you, and he was raised by Beetee?" she whispered back, faking some tears. "It's kinda hard to believe."

We broke away, and Rue, who was listening to the whole thing, hugged me. "They're coming to rescue us," I whispered. Her eyes widened, but only for a moment. She whispered one word.

"Thresh?"

"They will check the male prison," I responded. Her eyes shone with tears. Thresh was like an older brother to Rue, and she had only seen a glimpse of him down here. I guess he was brought back to life too; which makes me wonder if they brought back any Careers.

I broke away. The rescue was at the end of the week. I was going to see my Finnick by the end of the week if all went well.

This was going to be a long week.

**I am soo sorry if the chapters have been getting crappier. I honestly have no idea where this story is going to end, im just improvising as i go. thank you for all your reviews.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	18. Chapter 18:Peeta : Training

_Peeta's POV_

I jogged up and down District 13's track, waiting for the rest of the Victors to show up. Sure I was half-an-hour early, but hey, someone has to be here this early. I looked around. Katniss was leaning against a wall, snoring gently. I gave up jogging and sat next to her, gently coaxing and arm around her and placing her head on my shoulder. I sat there, waiting. My eyelids started to feel heavy. Maybe getting up this early was a bad idea, especially after what we did last night. I slowly slipped off to sleep.

"You know, if you're gonna fall asleep, you might as well sleep in bed and get here later," I heard a voice say in front of me. I snapped my eyes open, and saw a very tired Finnick in front of me. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, and there were huge bags underneath his eyes. He had a strange smirk on his face. I looked around. Beetee was tinkering with some strange gun that emitted random sparks. Haymitch was looking at a mechanical knife that sharpened or dulled the blade based on choice. With a jolt, I realized that this was Haymitch's weapon of choice. These blades were what allowed him to win the Second Quarter Quell. He was like an old, fat, ugly, drunk male version of Clove. I looked at him intently, but he seemed sober enough. Good, we couldn't have a drunk handling a weapon like that, especially a drunk who was very skilled with a weapon like that. I looked around the track. Only the Victors were in the training area today.

"Jenny said that the meeting would be an hour later since this was our first day. She booked training center 5 for us. We'll be meeting our fellow soldiers today." Finnick said, leaning on the wall and crossing his legs. He looked and acted every amount like the Capitol's dream boy. I felt sorry for the poor guy. He didn't ask to be this way. He could've been with Annie right now, living it up, but instead, he had to fight this was in order to get anywhere near her. I hugged Katniss closer to me. She hadn't even stirred. I don't blame her; I was exhausted from last night's ordeal. I blushed, recalling it. Finnick looked at me and smirked.

"I saw Katniss sneak up to your room yesterday," He said, waggling his eyebrows. "And I heard some very strange noises. What were you two up to?" I blushed beet red.

"So, you mean to say you were stalking us?" I bit back. He made a strangled noise in his throat, and started laughing nervously.

"Now you know I wouldn't do that Peeta," He said, chuckling nervously. I gave him a questioning look. "Okay, fine. I couldn't sleep, so I was wandering the hallways, thinking about Annie," his face turned dull. I truly felt bad for him. I don't think I could stay sane if Katniss was in the Capitol. He sunk to the ground, his head in his hands, grabbing at his bronze hair. I patted his shoulder, careful not to wake Katniss. She was drooling slightly on my shoulder. I decided not to wake her; we still had little less than an hour left. I looked at her. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. I smoothed a stray piece of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. She smiled, but didn't wake up. I leaned my head against the wall and sighed. Finnick looked so dejected, and he couldn't bring himself to look at us. I sighed.

"Look, Finnick. I know what it means to lose someone you love. Trust me; I've lost everyone but my brother Rye, whom I haven't seen in a few days. I will help you find Annie, and I'll sure as hell kick some Capitol ass while I'm at it." I said. Finnick smiled at me.

"You sounded just like Johanna for a moment there. I miss her." He said. I gasped and put a hand to my chest in mock surprise.

"Oh No! I, Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, sound like a lumberjack? The world is coming to an end!" I said, throwing my palms up in the air in fake exasperation. Finnick laughed. I started cracking up for no apparent reason. We started gasping for breath, and our laughs rang through the training center. Other Victors started laughing too, for no apparent reason. I guess we all needed to laugh at least once in a while, and there was seldom anything to laugh about.

"Attention!" yelled a voice from the end of the hallway. General Jennifer Schmitt walked in, and trailing behind her was Coin, looking happier than we'd ever seen her. General Jenny stopped, and looked at me with a disgusted look.

"Are you laughing Soldier Mellark? We're in the middle of a goddamn war right now, and you and are laughing? Soldier, I think that you don't want to be on this mission. I'll pardon it just this once, but if I see any horseplay again, you'll be out of this mission faster than you can say 'Hunger Games.' Oh, and get Soldier Everdeen off of you, if she wanted sleep, she should have gone to bed earlier last night." She said steelily.

"Yes ma'am," I said, and shook Katniss awake. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Peeta?" she whispered tiredly. She looked around. Her eyes shot open at the sight of president Coin, and she shot up to her feet like a pressurized rocket. I rolled my eyes and stood up. The General cleared her throat.

"Okay, today, we will be training. Follow me to the weapons area Soldiers." The general said sternly, leading us to the weapons area. Coin whispered a few things to her, and left, rubbing her hands together in glee. It made a guy wonder what this woman was up to. General Jennifer began to explain the different procedures.

"These," she said, gesturing to the racks filled with high tech spears, guns, rifles, knives, clubs, tridents, archery equipment, and a gazillion other things that by no means that I can identify, "…..are not toys. They are high tech, military grade equipment. Since you are Victors, there are a few weapons of choice here. The regular soldiers get standard issue guns. Finnick, there is a rack of high tech tridents, and Katniss, an array of bows and arrows to suit your style. There are also many other weapons in multiple styles. Beetee has spoken to me, and once some of you chose your weapons of choice, then he will personalize and upgrade them for you to suit your style." She paused as Coin exited the room, and waited a few moments. "Okay, now that she is out of here, I can speak more comfortably. Okay, I would explain the procedures, but you guys are Victors, so there is really no point. You guys can't follow rules even if your life depended on it." She said, laughing. A few of us chuckled.

"But even though it is boring, and I won't spend too much time explaining, I want you guys to remember that these are real weapons. A lot of you have gotten hurt with low-tech versions of these weapons. Haymitch, you remember the axe that gave you a fatal injury in your games. Well, there are high tech versions of them here, so no playing. Blight," she said, calling to one of the District 7 Victors, "you remember the arrow that pierced your liver. Peeta, you remember the sword that….took your leg." I grimaced and started rubbing my metal leg, ghost pains erupting all over it. Still, after two years, ghost pains still overcome me. Jenny continued, "All of you know the dangers of these weapons, and though you may be skilled, please be careful. All of you, including the soldiers training in the other center, are valuable to this mission. Okay, enough said, I want you all to head out and run twenty laps as part of your cardiac training."

We all groaned pathetically, and I groaned the loudest. Running was definitely not my forte, with the metal leg and all. I could walk smoothly, and dance better than Katniss even with it, but I couldn't run without clunking like the Tin Man. I sighed and started running. One lap, two laps, three laps, the clunky leg was weighing me down. I started panting, pumping my arms back and forth. Katniss casually jogged by me, her silent huntress tread aiding her. There wasn't a drop of sweat on her.

"What's wrong Peeta, can't keep up with your girlfriend?" she teased, and sprinted ahead. I put on a burst of speed, and grabbed her arm. She laughed.

"No use doing that Peeta, I'm already a lap ahead," she laughed, loosening her grip and sprinting ahead like a cheetah. I groaned and sped up a bit.

"Come on Mellark, is that all you got?" Jenny taunted me from the side. I sprinted forward, my face drenching in sweat. I could feel the back of my shirt sticking to my skin, and my blonde locks were plastered to my face. I continued to run. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. On the sixteenth lap, I tripped, landed on my face, and went sprawling. Katniss was talking to Beetee at the other side of the track, completely oblivious now that she was done running her laps. I suddenly saw someone walk up behind me. A slender hand reached out. I grabbed it and got up. I groaned, placing my hands on my knees and panting. I looked up to see who had helped me, and saw a chillingly familiar face. I was looking up at Foxface.

"Gahhh!" I yelled, losing my balance and falling on my butt. I scooted away. "You're supposed to be dead!" I was shocked. The Capitol had kept Foxface alive, and now she was back to kill me, the person who killed her the first time. I looked up at the redhead, and found her laughing her head off. I was confused.

"Y-you re-really think i-I'm Zorra?" she said, wiping a tear away from her eye, her face plastered in a grin. I was still confused. So it wasn't Foxface? And who the heck was Zorra?

"I'm her sister, Roux. Nice to meet you, Peeta Mellark." She said, holding out her hand.

"Why aren't you angry at me? I killed your sister!" I yelled, as a sudden burst of anger overcame me. Why was she forgiving me? I killed her sister, her sister who was innocent. A sudden burst of shock came over me. She was a Victor, or else she wouldn't be here. I looked up at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm not angry at you, because by feeding Zorra the berries, you made sure that the Capitol brought her back to life. I saw her during the view of the Capitol at the Quarter Quell. She was hidden in the shadow, but I would recognize my twin sister anywhere. I was a Victor for the 72nd hunger games. It was a bleak year, and the Capitol would not mention it afterward. I was thirteen, and somehow, I survived. My sister was fifteen when she was killed, and then revived. I miss her dearly, and I hope this mission is a true success. I haven't seen her in two years. She would be seventeen." She finished. I looked at her incredulously. Foxface was…alive? And her name was Zorra? I got up, and looked at her sister.

"If she is alive, then I know at least one person is after me." I said dejectedly. Ginger stared at me.

"Peeta, I know Zorra, and I'm pretty sure she's not angry at you. You gave her a chance at life. There is no way she would be able to go up against Cato. Thank You."

I nodded and began heading towards the track. Most of the Victors were done, and Katniss had been watching me. I finished my laps. Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty. I finally reached the other Victors. All of us but Haymitch had made it this far. Haymitch was still going through his sixteenth lap. We watched the old man run, and a few of us chuckled. I was drenched in sweat, and my legs felt like they were burning, but I've never felt more active. I went over to Katniss and took the towel from her.

"Ewww, Peeta, once you get back to your room, you are sooo taking a shower." She said, prodding my sweaty back. I smirked, and rubbed my face on her sleeve, effectively grossing her out.

"Peeta!" she yelled, laughing and running away. I chased after her, tackled her in a hug, and gave her a very sweaty kiss. Her disgusted face was failing her, and we broke down laughing. Commander Jenny was looking at us, smiling. We got up, and made our way back just as Haymitch finished his last lap, and fell on the floor mats panting. We all started cracking up. Maybe training wasn't so bad after all. Haymitch glared at us.

"You might laugh now, you little Pansies, but I'd like to see you jog twenty laps without breaking a sweat in another twenty-five years," Haymitch said, getting up. I cackled.

"No, we'll probably be faster than that in another twenty-five years Haymitch. You're just drunk, fat, and lazy," I laughed. Haymitch glared.

"Boy, you'd better watch out, cause when we're alone, I'm going to get you and as far as I've seen, you can't run too well with that clunky leg of yours," He griped. The other Victors laughed. One of Haymitch's buddies, an old guy names Limo, came up to him.

"You tell him Haymitch," he said in a slurred voice. This guy was obviously drunk. I chuckled. Of course all of Haymitch's friends are drunks. I turned around and walked over to Jenny.

"So, what's next?" I asked her. She looked up from her clipboard, where she was recording all of our times and stats.

"Next, we are going to go to the specialized weapons arsenal. I would like to spend a moment recording all of this, and then we will be on our way. By the way, very well done; I didn't expect you to finish all the laps with that leg of yours, but you're doing just fine. I'll have to record that on President Coin's training bulletin. She will be very pleased."

"Err, thank you." I said, unsure of what to say. This general wasn't like the ones I've encountered before. Those used brute force. This one used kind words, and I knew as a fact that many soldiers preferred her instead of the others. Finnick even seemed to respect her.

"Attention! Soldiers, proceed to the Weapons Arsenal. There we will be training you and checking which weapons you are most skilled with. With luck, by the time the mission is due, you will be skilled with both a gun and a specialized weapon of some sort, such as a knife or spear. Now March!"

We all filed down to the weapons arsenal. I walked in, and my eyes widened. It was just like the training center in the Capitol, just a little more high-tech. Jenny stopped.

"Okay Victors, here we are. I expect no maiming or hurting eachother, just fake combat and weapons training. There is an archery station here for all of you talented with a bow and arrow. There are multiple bows, so you can try all of them and find the one that best suits you."

Katniss's eyes widened and I could almost see her drooling over the possibilities.

"There is also a fencing station, a teamwork station, a climbing station, a weapon throwing station that includes knives, tridents, and spears. There is a station for every talent, and much more. I will allow you to explore the facility since this is our first day, but I'm warning you right now, this is not all fun and games," she said briskly. She walked over to a little desk, and started writing something down.

I looked around, waiting to see where everyone was heading. Katniss made a beeline to the archery station, and Finnick sprinted towards the tridents. Haymitch went to check out the knives. I decided that the identification station was a good start. I went over to it. A bunch of plant and fruit identification charts covered the screens I went over to the berry identification screen.

"Well hello Peeta," came a voice from behind me. I whipped around and held the person by the neck. Standing behind me was Ginger, her hands up in surrender. I let go. Ginger started rubbing her neck looked at me.

"That's quite a grip you've got there," she said, chuckling nervously.

"Urm, sorry about that, its just that, the games have hardened my instincts, and that's basically how I would defend myself in this situation." I said sheepishly. She nodded.

"I get it, I'd do the same thing," she said, suddenly looking at the screen. "Berries huh?"

"Yeah, figured I'd come to this station first, since most of the other stations are filled."

"The knives station isn't, Haymitch left a few moments ago,"

"Really?"

"Yep,"

"Okay, I'm going there then,"

"Yeah, sure," she said, taking my place at the berries station and studying the chart. I swear, she looked just like Foxface from this angle. I quickly backed out of the room and made my way to the knife station. I observed the knives. There were ones that had ionic plasma at the end, which made them glow and cut through practically anything. One knife had a blade made of ruby, and precious stones all over the hilt. There were glowing sabers that cut through metal like butter, and knives that honed down on a target, so that you couldn't miss. I shivered. This was Clove's heaven.

"Well if it isn't lover boy," came a voice from behind me. My blood ran cold, and I slowly turned around. My eyes widened in fear.

Standing in front of me was Glimmer.

**_Okay, just to clear things up, Zorra means 'female fox' in Spanish._**

**Okay, so how did you guys like it? Sorry i couldn't post faster, my birthday was yesterday and i couldn't add the finishing touches to this chapter. Okay, ill admit it, i have no idea where this story is going. i know a few things im dying to add, but i honestly dont know the climax. I'm also trying not to hurt or kill off all my characters, just cause, well, i do it too much. Thanks for all the reviews.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	19. Chapter 19:Rory : Avox

Rory's POV

I awoke to pain; pulsating pain that coursed through my whole body. I moaned, opening my eyes. Immediately, my eyes widened.

Prim was sitting next to my bed, stroking my hair and looking down. I could see tears flowing freely from her eyes. I grabbed her arm to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

"Prim?" I said weakly. She looked at me, a sad expression on her face. She started stroking my cheek, and sat on the edge of the bed. My arm went around her waist. A sudden burst of feeling surged through me. The woman I love loved me back. Even though I was hurt, I couldn't have loved anyone more than I loved my Primrose at that moment.

"I love you Prim," I said quietly into my mask. A small smile lit up her face. She got up to leave. Suddenly, I didn't want her to go. I latched onto her wrist.

"Stay with me," I muttered, patting the space next to me on the bed weakly. She smiled, tears still flowing out of her eyes.

"Always," she muttered. Somehow, she managed to crawl in next to me without disturbing even one of the IVs. She rested her head on my chest, which now had a cast on it, and I heard her breathing lull until it was deep and even. I felt the medicine slowly pull me under.

"_You think they'll wake up?"_

_ "I don't know, he looks pretty bad; she might wake up, but most likely he won't yet. Why are they sleeping together?"_

_ "I don't know, I think it's pretty cute."_

_ "Peeta! That is my sister! "_

_ "Yeah, but seriously, you didn't know that she was Rory's girlfriend. Wow Katniss, that's pretty ignorant. I mean, you should have noticed sometime. I mean, everyone noticed when I started sneaking into your room,"_

_ "Shut up Peeta,"_

_ "Shhh, you'll wake Prim up,"_

At the mention of Prim's name, my eyes squinted open. My vision was blurry, and my head was throbbing. I felt weak. I moaned in pain, partially muffled by my oxygen mask. Katniss's head snapped around and her mouth hung open. She quickly rushed over and hugged me gently, careful not to hurt me.

"Rory, you're alright," she said, letting go. Peeta walked up guiltily.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly. He looked horrible, like he hadn't slept in days. I felt bad. It wasn't the poor guys fault.

"It's okay bro," I said nonchalantly. His face broke into a smile. I didn't realize how much this was weighing him down. I put on a weak smile and looked down at Prim. Her head was lying on my chest, and her arm circled my torso, while one of her legs was draped over mine. She looked younger, and, well, cuter. I looked up at Katniss and Peeta and sighed. I was tired, so tired. It was hard to breathe. I gasped in oxygen through my mask, unable to breathe. I started thrashing around, desperately trying to draw in a breath. My chest felt tight, and my eyes were watering. Prim woke up, and a look of panic crossed her eyes. She got up and started loosening my oxygen mask, in hope that I could get some fresh air. Katniss rushed over to my side, while Peeta ran out into the hallway. I could hear his voice.

"Doctor! Somebody! This is an emergency! Somebody call the Doctor!" he yelled. The last thing I heard was Prim yelling, before I slipped back into the ever-consuming darkness.

Blinding light shining in my eyes awoke me. I was no longer in intense pain, though, my chest throbbed occasionally. I looked around. They had shipped me to another hospital room. I noticed someone sleeping on the sofa in the corner. Prim. She was sound asleep, curled up in the center of the sofa. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her hair was a tangled mess, she had huge bags underneath her puffy eyes, and dark circles stained the bags. She still looked beautiful, but it broke my heart to see her like this. I tried to reach out, only to find that my arms were strapped down to the hospital bed. My head was bandaged, and my oxygen mask was strapped to my face. I couldn't open my eyes all the way. I looked around weakly. This hospital room had a few extra furnishings. A painting decorated the wall across from me. I tried to cry out, hoping that someone, anyone would hear me, but no words came. I heard my heartbeat accelerate on the monitor. Suddenly, I had an idea. I slowly squirmed around so that the panels from the heartbeat monitor that they put on my chest were hooked onto the edge of my arm restraints. I slowly peeled them off until the monitor started beeping.

Prim woke with a start, and looked right at me. A look of disbelief stained her face. Quickly, she rushed over to my bedside, and started unshackling my arms. Not saying a word, I pulled her into a hug, tears streaking down my face. Prim froze for a moment, and embraced me back. She pulled out of my embrace and looked at me sadly. I tried to speak, but only my mouth moved. She put a hand over my mouth and nodded sadly.

"You were out for about five days. Apparently, someone ended up putting a strange Capitol mixture in your oxygen tank." She said, a small look of panic crossing her face. I sighed, and stroked her face. She whimpered.

"Rory, there's a spy among us. It could be anyone. Anyone could get hurt. First it was you, but who knows, tomorrow, it could be Katniss, Peeta, Madge, Gale, Coin, or anyone. I'm scared Rory. For the first time in my life I'm truly scared. What if they manage to kill you? I can't live happily without you." She sobbed. I rubbed her back, and tried to talk. Nothing came out. I patted Prim's shoulder and gestured to my throat. She sighed.

"The poison, or whatever they snuck into your breathing tube, affected your voice box. You will not be able to speak for a long time, or forever," she quietly said. I sucked in a breath. Not being able to talk, maybe forever. It was horrible. I suddenly realized what the Capitol did.

They had turned me into an Avox.

**I have, a slight apology to make. Yes, i have been very lazy when i comes to updating. I have writer's block when it comes to this story. All you Rory fan's out there, yes, I did make him an avox. I am welcoming the long string of cuss words you are probably firing at me right now. Okay, so here's the thing.**

**I am so sorry, my stories have been taking a downward turn. I would promise that i would update tommorow, or within this week, but i dont make promises i cant keep. I will however, update as soon as i can. I'll try to make the chapter longer this time. **

**I've been busy with my other fanfics. I've used the OC characters in this; Electra and Jackson, and made a fanfic about them.**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	20. Chapter 20:Katniss : Traitor

_Katniss's POV_

Things were taking a turn for the worst. Rory can't talk anymore, Gale is still in a coma, Madge is not faring well, she hasn't eaten in days, Prim is distraught, Peeta pulled a muscle in his chest, and now he can't train, and Finnick is mentally unstable when it comes to Annie.

I opened my eyes. The room was dark, and shadows seemed to eat up every corner. That's one of the disadvantages of living in District 13; no natural light. I missed my hunting ground, and most of all, I missed my hunting partner. I looked over at the other side of the bed. Peeta was sleeping soundly, his mouth slightly open. Since Peeta and I were technically engaged, we were allowed the same room. I shifted slightly. I heard him moan in his sleep. "Katniss," he moaned, and then turned around. I quickly shoved a pillow in front of him. He hugged hit tightly, rubbing his face against the top. I stifled a laugh.

"Katniss, why are you so squishy?" he said, still half-asleep. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Seems like those sleeping pills they gave him haven't worn off yet. I listened to him repeat the question. Suddenly, Peeta's eyes snapped open, and he looked at the pillow in front of him. He looked at my face, and then back at the pillow, and at my face again. I couldn't take it any longer. I burst out laughing.

"Very funny," he said, throwing aside the pillow and looping his arms around my waist. He pulled me down onto the bed and started nuzzling my neck. "Now this is much better," he said. I turned around so that I was facing him.

"So, what will we do today?" I asked.

"Well, Jenny said that there was no training today, and my chest is almost healed, so we could do anything you want,"

"How about we stay in bed for a bit longer?" I said, snuggling into his side. Peeta started peppering my face with kisses. I planted my lips on his and we shared a long, lingering kiss. He started drawing a line of kisses down my neck, and behind my ear. We lay there, driven by lust for what seemed like hours. Finally, we plopped back onto the sheets, exhausted and covered in sweat. I turned towards Peeta and snuggled into his bare chest.

"I love you," I said before I dropped off to sleep listening to his heartbeat.

I woke up after what must have been a couple of hours. The clock read one. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, rinsing off all the sweat and grime. I put on my standard issue gray clothes, and went back into the room. Peeta was sitting up in bed. I tossed a towel at him.

"Go wash up and get dressed. I'm going to go check on Gale. Meet me there," I said, before exiting. I walked down the corridors. It had been a month since Gale entered his coma. I finally reached his room and heard Madge talking to someone inside. I opened the door, and what I saw shocked me.

Gale was sitting up in bed. He had Madge in his arms and was comforting her. Madge was crying her head off, tightly hugging him. Gale's head turned to me when I opened the door.

"Hey Catnip," he said, slowly smiling. I froze for a moment, and then ran to him, encircling him in a crushing hug. He wrapped one arm around me and buried his face in my hair. "I missed you too," he whispered. Tears sprung to my eyes. My best friend was back.

No more than five minutes later, Rory and Prim burst into the room, followed by Peeta. Rory's mouth opened and closed, and he tackled his brother. Madge let go of Gale, and stood next to his bed. Rory and Prim sat on either side of Gale, snuggling into his sides. Peeta went over and gave Gale a one-armed hug, wincing slightly when he moved his arm too much.

"Glad you're back man, you scared us like hell when you slipped into that coma."

Gale turned to Rory, taking in his face. He suddenly froze and pushed up Rory's hairline. A small scar traced one of his temples.

"Rory, how did you get this?" Gale asked, his face stern. Peeta's face fell and he stepped up. I grabbed his hand, but his look told me that he intended to tell Gale this no matter what.

"I did it," he said, stepping up. "I hospitalized Rory."

Gale sprang up, and his arms wrapped around Peeta's neck. Peeta didn't fight, he just hung his head in submission. Gale started punching Peeta's face, cracking his nose. Blood started gushing from his nose. I screamed, and tried to pry Gale off. I was starting to get desperate. I bit his arm, and he let out a yell and let go.

"IT WOULD HELP IF YOU WAITED A MOMENT, YOU IGNORANT ASS!" I screamed at him. He calmed down and looked at me with a questioning look, and the story came out. About how someone sneaked Tracker Jacker poison into Peeta's medicine. How it failed and he attacked Rory, and how someone poisoned Rory, rendering him unable to speak. How Gale had been in a coma for about a month now, and how they were planning a rescue mission to the Capitol. Gale watched us intently, occasionally twitching. After I finished, he held his head in his hands.

"How could I have missed all this?" he asked, an edge of exasperation in his voice. Madge sat down next to him, rubbing his back. I decided that this was the best time to leave him alone, let him figure out things. We all started fileing out the door, even Madge. As we were leaving, Gale grabbed onto Madge's hand.

"Stay here. I need you to help me," he said, patting the space next to him on the bed. I felt a pang of jealousy. I was his best friend, she was his crush. I should be the one's resolving his problems, not her. I said nothing and walked out, leaving my jealousy behind me. Peeta was waiting for me.

"So, what shall we do today miss?" he said in a Capitol accent. I laughed. Peeta was great at mocking people.

"I'm feeling a little hungry. Why don't we have lunch and then decide?" I asked him. He nodded his head.

We walked to the cafeteria together, and ate our lunch. Peeta seemed a bit nervous, and kept tugging at his collar the whole time. I wonder why.

"Katniss, c'mon. I have to show you something," Peeta said, and got up. I followed him out of the cafeteria.

"I wan't you to put this on," he said, handing me a blindfold. I warily put it on. He held my hand, and led me through the hallways of District 13. A left turn, then a right, and then up some stairs. We walked for what seemed like forever until I heard another voice.

"Hello Peeta. I got your letter this morning. You can use the room anytime, I reserved it just for you. I haven't seen anybody go in there, and I come here bright and early," I heard Beetee's voice say.

"Thank you Beetee," Peeta responded, and then led me into the room. I felt him opening my blindfold, and he placed his hand over my eyes.

"Okay, here goes," he said, and took his hands away from my eyes. I took in a breath. We were in a meadow. Little hummingbirds danced along the tall grasses, flitting about. Little flowers grew here and there, displayed in a natural pattern. A blue sky was simulated above, and a cool breeze was blowing. It was breathtaking. I turned back to Peeta, who was smiling. I hugged him.

"Thanks Peeta," I whispered. I smiled. I had the best boyfriend ever.

"Hey, it's the least I could do for the woman I've loved since I was five," he said, smiling.

We stayed in the meadow all day, relaxing and enjoying ourselves. Finally, we were exhausted. I lay my head on Peeta's lap, and he started braiding it. I had a sudden flashback of our last day in the training center, when we were in the same position, him braiding my hair and none of us burdened by life. I sighed, enjoying the moment before someone disturbed us. Suddenly, Peeta stopped braiding my hair. I looked up at him in question. He lifted himself up, and helped me up too. His hands were clammy, and his face was slightly sweaty. Suddenly, he took something from behind his back and got down on one knee. It was a small black box. My eyes widened.

"Katniss, I have loved you all my life. I can't imagine the rest of it without you. Will you marry me?"

My mouth dropped open, and his face fell.

"Yes," I simply said, and got down on my knees to hug him. His eyes widened, and he smiled from ear to ear, and planted his lips on mine. We broke away, and continued to hug.

"Katniss, I can't tell you how happy this mak-"he cut off. His eyes widened, and he slumped forward onto me. I cried out in shock. Peeta's eyes were closed, and his face was pale. There was a metal rod sticking out of his side. I looked behind him to see the one who did this to him.

Glimmer was standing behind him. Gorgeous Glimmer, the capitol's dream woman, who I'd, killed in my games. Her face was contorted in a menacing smile.

"Hello Katniss. It's quite wonderful to see you, after all, it was you who killed me," she said. I felt sick. She shouldn't be here. This was all a bad dream. I pinched my arm.

"Oh, I'm real alright. The capitol brought me back, made me one of their spies. Yeah, it was me who put that gas in Rory's air canister. Snow has….a rather fruitful reward for me; my old life, in exchange for the downfall of the strongest rebels. So you see, I had to do this. It took me a bit of persuasion to kill the others, but oh, am I going to have fun hurting you," she said, slowly walking towards me. I lay Peeta on the ground, and got up, ready to fight. I must have gotten up too fast, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I turned around, and puked. What was happening to me? Over the last week, I've been pukey, achy, and sick. Glimmer laughed.

"Too scared to fight me?" she taunted. I wiped my mouth off and got up. I looked around desperately for something I could use. Glimmer produced a knife from behind her back. Dear lord, she was actually going to kill me. She slashed, and I dodged back, and started running. I saw a large branch lying at the edge of the room. I picked it up and turned around. Glimmer swiped at me again, catching me in the ribs. I cried out in pain, and swung the large branch. I heard a sickening crack, and a small thump as Glimmer sunk to the ground. I looked down to see a trickle of blood on her temple. I walked over to Peeta, trying to staunch the blood that was flowing from my cut. I walked over to him, and lay his head in my lap.

"Peeta. Peeta, please get up. Don't die on me," I said desperately. I checked his pulse. It was weak, but his heart was still beating. I heard the door open.

"She's in here! Oh god, somebody call the doctor!" I heard Beetee say. I saw Madge's cousin pick Peeta up, careful not to disturb the pole. I was too tired and weak to protest. I felt the darkness come over me, as a pair of arms picked me up.

"Stay with me sweetheart, you're gonna be okay," Haymitch said, carrying me out of the room. He looked panicked, and oddly sober. I turned around and saw Finnick running towards us. Haymitch handed me over.

"Take her to the hospital ward boy, and hurry!" he said. Finnick gathered me in his arms and ran. I felt my eyes close.

"Come on Katniss, just a bit longer. Stay awake," he pleaded. I lay a bloody hand on his shoulder, and passed out.

**Yeah, i've been lazy lately. This chapter is longer, but not the longest. I was going to make it longer, perhaps add the next part, but i decided to leave a cliffhanger, and save the next part for the next ...**

**Over and Out**

**~Reaper**


	21. Chapter 21:Katniss : Despair

_**Katniss's POV**_

I woke up in a whitewashed hospital room, my chest slightly throbbing. A distinct beeping noise came from some machine in the room.

"About time you woke up sweetheart," said Haymitch's voice from my bedside. I turned to face him, getting up slowly. He was freshly washed and trimmed, a surprising change. His eyes had bags underneath them, as if he hadn't slept for days, and there was a surprising amount of concern in his eyes.

"You gave us quite a scare sweetheart, passing out in Finnick's arms like that," he said. I tried to get up, but he forced me down again.

"You better get some rest sweetheart. You shouldn't be exerting yourself, especially in your current condition," he said. What condition? I looked at him in confusion, but I knew I wasn't going to get any answers out of him. I suddenly remembered something.

"Haymitch, where's Peeta?" I asked him. He sighed.

"Knew it was a matter of time before you asked," Haymitch said, removing the curtain to the other side of the room. On the other hospital bed was Peeta, he had an oxygen mask on, and his torso was heavily bandaged. I covered my mouth with my hand. It killed me to see him like this. I got up, despite Haymitch's protests, and walked over to Peeta's bedside. I pushed his sweaty hair off his forehead. He looked so peaceful, as if he was sleeping.

"The spear that Glimmer pushed into him ruptured his liver and snapped a rib. Poor kid, he regained consciousness as he went into the emergency room, and the first thing he asked was if you were okay. He passed out soon after that," Haymitch said wearily. I felt hot tears fall from my eyes. God, for some reason I was being too emotional recently. I wiped the tears from my eyes, and linked my fingers in Peeta's hand. The warm hand felt familiar, and calmed me down. I lay my head on Peeta's chest, and then fell asleep.

Next I woke up; I was in my own hospital bed. I looked across the room. Peeta was still in his bed. He looked like he hadn't woke up yet. I sighed.

"Catnip?" said a familiar voice from my bedside. I turned to see Gale. His bandages were gone, and he looked stronger. I wondered how long I'd been out.

"They enrolled me in the soldier program. It's been a week since you were attacked Catnip. Things have changed," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Madge is getting some food for you. You must be starving."

Truth was, I was very hungry. I just silently accepted his word and sat there. I stared at the blankets, drawing patterns in them; a heart for love; a mockingjay for rebellion; a flower for friendship. Suddenly, the door opened.

Madge walked into the room, and her eyes widened. She quickly set down the tray, and enveloped me in a hug.

"Glad that you're okay," she said quietly. I smiled at her. She went and sat next to Gale, linking hands with him. Something glinted on her hand. My eyes widened.

"Are you….."

"Yes, Gale proposed to me about three days ago," she said, a grin breaking across her face. I smiled. Gale proposed to her. Wow, I never thought he would be so bold. I gave her a hug.

"Congratulations," I said, hugging Gale as well. Madge kissed him on the cheek, and he turned tomato red.

"Congratulations to you too," Madge said, looking at me. I gave her a confused look. Congratulations for what? Peeta and I were fake-engaged quite a while ago, and nobody knew that Peeta had proposed to me, not even Beetee. I gave Madge a puzzled look.

"For what?" I asked her, and her face took on a shocked expression.

"Nobody told you yet?" she asked, looking at Gale with a pointed look. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I was getting to that when you came in,"

"Yeah, but you should've told her,"

"Okay then, why don't you tell her?" Gale said. Madge turned around to face me.

"Urm, Katniss, I don't know how to tell you this," Madge said. Gale got up.

"I'm done here, I'll be in the training center if you need me," he said with an exasperated sigh. Madge looked back at me, and then took a deep breath.

"Katniss, have you been feeling a bit sick recently?"

"Yeah; Figured its stomach bug or something. I've been puking a lot recently,"

"Katniss, it isn't stomach bug,"

"Okay, then what is it?"

"Katniss, you were pregnant,"

I sat there, my mouth gaping open. My hand went to my stomach. I was, what? Suddenly, I realized something.

"You said 'were pregnant'. What do you mean by 'were'?"

"Katniss, I don't know how to tell you this," she said gravely. I suddenly didn't want to hear what she wanted to tell me.

"Katniss, when Glimmer attacked you, you were able to knock her out, but she hurt you, right? Well, after you passed out in Finnick's arms, you started bleeding, really bad. You miscarried Katniss," she said, tears springing to her eyes. I stared at her, expecting her to crack up, and tell me that she was joking, but she did no such thing. I was pregnant. If Glimmer hadn't interfered, Peeta and I would have had a baby. I never wanted children. I was afraid to bring a child into this world. Guess my wish came true, but not in a way that I wished. Peeta would be heartbroken. I myself felt hollow, and tears sprung to my eyes. Already this world had killed a child of mine. I felt Madge's arms wrap around me. I looked over to Peeta's bed, where he was still unconcious. I wondered how he would react when he found out. Would he blame me? Would he leave me, and go find another girl? Different scenarios whirled around my head, each one worse than the last. I held my head, and cried. Madge was next to me, slowly comforting me while shedding tears of her own. I cried and cried, and slowly slipped off to sleep.

_"Mommy!" said a little girl, running towards me. She had black hair and an olive complexion, and familiar sapphire blue eyes. Peeta was next to me, his arm around my shoulder. I gave the little girl a hug, and she ran to Peeta, who scooped her up in his arms. The happiness showing on his face made me smile. He twirled her around, making her laugh. The sound of them laughing resounded across the meadow. Finally Peeta put her down, and sat down on the blanket in front of us. The little girl started playing with the dandelions near the edge of the blanket. I sat down, trying to get comfortable with my swollen belly. Peeta lay his head in my lap smiling. I looked down at him, the man who made me so happy just by being around. I started twirling my fingers around his soft blonde hair. He turned his head around, and kissed my stomach._

_ "So, do we have a name for him yet?" he asked me. I smiled, lost in the moment._

_ "I don't know, I think we should wait until he's born, just like we did for Ivy," I said, looking behind us. District 12 lay spread out. The seam had brand new houses, and there was a field nearby with green plants. There were new building in town, and people were milling about._

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ "Yeah. What do you think he'll look like?" I asked Peeta. He got up, and let me lean on his shoulder._

_ "Well, if I had my way, he'd look exactly like you,"_

_ "No, Ivy already looks like me. I want him to look like you," I said stubbornly. Peeta smiled. I put a hand on my stomach. Suddenly, I felt something._

_ "Peeta! He kicked!" I squealed. Peeta put a hand on my stomach, and I felt the baby kick again. Peeta's face lit up. Suddenly, our daughter walked over with a crown of dandelions on her head and a matching crown in her arms._

_ "Look what I made for Daddy!" Ivy said proudly. Peeta laughed, and put it on. He went over to the picnic basket and took out a spare blanket, and wore it as a cape._

_ "I am the king of Dandelions. Who may you be?" he asked Ivy in a deep voice. Ivy giggled._

_ "I'm the princess silly,"_

_ "Then we must go to our kingdom," he said, still using that ridiculous voice. He picked up Ivy and put her on his back. They looked so sweet together, and Peeta was an ideal parent._

_ I watched them go into the distance, the two people who I couldn't live without. I sighed, enjoying the moment. I hadn't been this happy for a long time._

_ Suddenly, I felt cold metal press against my side. I looked to see who was next to me, and screamed. Glimmer stood there, a wicked smile plastered on her face. She had a small dagger, buried to the hilt in my side. Blood was staining my shirt and pants. I was miscarrying again. I screamed Peeta's name. He came running into the meadow still carrying Ivy on his shoulders. He ran to my side, and set Ivy down._

_ "Oh dear lord Katniss, who did this to you?" he asked. I clutched my side and groaned as a pang of pain shot through me. Peeta tried to gather me in his arms hands, but suddenly went stiff. I watched a bullet enter his chest, and he fell back, dead. I screamed and grabbed his shoulders. Blood was pouring out of his wound. Hot tears fell down my face. I saw Ivy run to Peeta's side, and start crying._

_ "Daddy? Daddy get up, we have to go play," she cried. Peeta didn't stir. Suddenly, Snow materialized behind Ivy, and held a knife to her throat._

_ "NO!" I yelled, but it was too late. Snow slit her throat, leaving a long red line. Ivy fell on top of Peeta, dead. I started crying and yelling their names. Suddenly, I heard someone's raspy voice call to me._

_ "Katniss! Katniss it's okay, I'm okay!"_

"Katniss! Katniss wake up!"

I snapped up on my hospital bed. The room was still lit; they didn't turn off hospital lights. I looked around to see who had snapped me out of my nightmare. There was nobody around. I lay down again, staring at the ceiling, wondering why I had that dream.

"Katniss, are you okay?" said the raspy voice faintly, I snapped out of bed, propelled by my instincts. I looked over to where the voice was coming from. It was coming from Peeta's bed. I yanked back the curtain to reveal a very conscious Peeta.

"Oh my gosh, you're okay!" I squealed, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled weakly, running a hand down the side of my face.

"What, really happened?" he asked, his eyes full of confusion. I sighed, telling him. About how Glimmer attacked both of us in the meadow room; how she stabbed him in the side, and how he fell unconscious instantly. I left out the part about the miscarriage, fearing that he would do something drastic. After I finished telling him, he sighed.

"When will our lives ever be peaceful?" he asked, his eyes getting that sad look I absolutely hated.

"We're in the middle of a war Peeta, a war that we started. Our lives were never peaceful to begin with," I replied, resting my head on his chest. The even beating of his heart calmed me, and forced me into a deep, peaceful slumber.

**Okay yeah, i know you guys are mad at me, and i dont blame you. i get pretty mad too when one of the stories im following doesn't update faster. flip up those middle fingers, i know i deserve it. i cant update that much anymore since im going to an international school, and probably have about 10 hours a week to enjoy myself. its not a lot. ill try to update sooner, but im not guranteeing anything.**

**over and out (dang, this saying is getting old)**

**~Reaper**


	22. Chapter 22: Peeta :Healing

_Peeta's POV_

I walked to the training room. I had been dispatched from the hospital three weeks ago. Our lives were tumbling down around us. That was probably my third time in District 13's hospital and frankly, it was three times too many. I swear, nearly all the people I know have been hospitalized, other that Prim. Even Katniss….

Katniss.

I remember how broken she sounded when she told me the news of Glimmer and the miscarriage. I remember her crying in the corner, rocking back and forth. She woke up almost every night now, plagued by nightmares of Snow killing the baby.

I sighed, and walked to the track. Most of the Victors were already here, as well as the other soldiers. I saw Finnick rubbing his trident with some sort of grease that made it super shiny. Gale was sitting by the track talking and laughing with Madge. I envied their relationship. Both of them were whole, unbroken, the exact opposite of Katniss and I. I was a cripple, and Katniss was mentally scarred. I watched as Madge leaned over and gave Gale a small peck on the cheek, effectively turning him red. He saw me watching them, and turned even redder. I smirked and went over to the weight lifting area.

Prim and Rory were sitting there talking to eachother. Well, not really talking as much as having a silent conversation. They both knew sign language, and since Rory had been turned into an unintentional avox, this was the only way that they could communicate. I went up to them.

"How are you feeling Rory?" I said, gently clapping his shoulder. He signed a few words with his hands. Prim turned to me.

"He says he's fine," she said. I looked at Prim. She had certainly grown up a lot these past few months. She now actually looked fourteen, and not just twelve. Her blonde hair had grown long and lusterous, and she wore it in a braid, just like Katniss. She now had a woman's physique. She was lithe, and stronger than she looked, which is probably why they assigned her as a battlefield medic and a soldier. I looked at Rory. He had grown up too. I was surprised at how much he looked like Gale. He was tall, almost as tall as me, and strong. I was 5' 10'' , he looked only two inches shorter than me.

A sudden realization came over me. Time was ticking fast. I was almost 18, the age where we are freed of the Reaping. I also realized my birthday was in a week. It was what, August? Yeah, it was. Suddenly, I felt like an old man. Eighteen already. The entirety of it hit me and I stood there dumbfounded.

"Hello? Earth to Peeta. You still in there?" Prim said, waving her hand in front of my face. I snapped out of it, and looked at her. "Katniss is here, just thought you'd want to know," she said, flipping her braid over her shoulder, and walked away with Rory. I looked across the room to where Katniss was walking in. An unspeakable sadness radiated from her. She went over and sat in the benches without a word.

"Katniss?" I said, sitting down next to her, holding her close. She just wilted into my embrace, not saying anything. I sighed. She's been like this for a week. Unresponsive, not eating. The only thing she did without fail was train. She's been training like a mad woman for the last two weeks. She seems more alive when she's training, and her eyes momentarily lose that sad look when she's at the archery station, invincible with the handcrafted bow that Beetee created for her. I admire her strength, her beauty, and her gracefulness when she does this. It reminds me of the Katniss I used to know, the person she used to be before she turned into this hollowed out shell.

"Katniss sweetheart, you have to snap out of it," I said, slowly shifting her off her shoulder so that she looks at me. Her eyes are glazed and have a dull look to them.

"That was our baby Peeta," she said, tears coming to her eyes. I wiped them away with my thumbs, and held her small face in my hands.

"I know it was Katniss, but there's no reason to mope over it. Its my baby as well as yours, and im just as sad, but you don't see me moping, do you? Katniss sweetheart, whats over is over, you have to stop gripping onto the past. Once you do, you'll find that you'll be a whole lot happier," I said, as I felt tears spring to my eyes. She looked at me, her eyes clearing a bit, and started crying into my shoulder. I was lucky that we were in a corner, or this would have attracted a lot of attention. I was able to calm her down a bit, until she was worn out. Her sobs subsided, and she gently fell asleep.

I carried her off the benches. Finnick jogged over, and looked at me questioningly. I just told him that I would drop her off at her room. I was halfway down the hallway, when Haymitch came up behind me. He looked more sober than I'd ever seen him, probably due to District 13's no-alcohol rule.

"How the alcohol rule working for you?" I asked him as I shifted Katniss on my shoulder. Her legs were wrapped around my torso, and her head rested on my shoulder. I held her almost the way I would hold a toddler.

"Meh, I've been getting used to it," he grumbled, obviously not happy with the rule.

"Yeah, well don't slip into your old habits again. We're going off to war in like two weeks,"

"I know. How is she," he said, gesturing to Katniss. I sighed.

"I honestly don't know Haymitch. Some days she copes a bit, but some days, she breaks down. I don't know what to do anymore. I miss this baby as much as she does, but she seems more broken," I said, on the verge of breaking down into tears myself.

Haymitch looked at me thoughtfully. I saw a plan hatch in his eyes.

"I thing I may have an idea loverboy, but I'm gonna need you to leave the room," he said. I opened the door to mine and Katniss's room and gently deposited her on the bed. Haymitch dragged a chair over next to the bed and sat in it, nodding his head towards me. I exited the room.

I was about to walk back down the hallway, when I couldn't help myself. I silently opened the door just a crack, and heard him talking to her.

"Katniss, sweetheart. It's me, your father. I know that you've been broken recently, and that's why I wanted to talk to you. Sweetie, I know you lost the baby, but please, don't linger on it. The more you linger on it, the more it hurts. Just let it go. I'll allow you to rest peacefully knowing that I have my grandbaby with me here, up in heaven. I miss you sweetheart, and I want you to stay brave. Stay brave for me, for your fiancé, and for your sister. Most of all, stay strong for yourself. I want you to always know, that I'll be watching you, and I'll protect nomatter what. I love you sweetheart, and I miss you so much," he said in a voice I never heard him use before. I saw Katniss smile in her sleep, and sigh. Haymitch got up, kissed her forehead gently, and made his way to the door.

"You can come in now loverboy, I know you heard that," Haymitch said wearily. I came in, looking a bit dumbfounded.

"Haymitch, that was beautiful. You sounded like her father. How were you able to do that?"

"Well its kind of easy, considering that she's like a daughter to me and you're like a son," he grumbled under his breath, and walked out of the room. I chuckled. Maybe there was more to the old drunk than I'd originally thought. He had a sweet side, one that most people didn't see. I see now why Katniss views him as a father figure. I went to her bedside, and tried to wake her up.

"Katniss sweetie, its time to get up," I said. She slowly opened her eyes, and I was shocked to find them full of tears. Her hand grabbed me into an embrace.

"He talked to me Peeta. My father talked to me. He told me that our baby is up in heaven with him, and he told me to let go," she said, crying. But these were not tears of sadness, they were tears of joy. As I hugged her, I couldn't help but smile. Haymitch had done his job well.

Suddenly, Gale burst through the door. He saw us hugging.

"Um, hey guys, this isn't really the time for a sob-fest. Jenny just called a meeting, and she said she'd boot you off the team if you weren't there," he says, rapid fire.

" Alright, we're coming," I said.

Katniss, Gale, and I jogged down to the training center. Katniss looked loads better already. A smile was pasted on her face, and there was a spring in her step. We entered the training center, to see that everyone was converging on the bleachers. Jenny was talking to Boggs, a senior commander, and boy did she look stressed. She had frown on her face, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. Dark bags tinted the space underneath her eyes, and her brownish-blondish hair had lost its luster. She looked a lot skinnier, gaunt even, and that made me wonder what she had to tell us. I sat down next to Katniss. I saw Coin walk in the door, and everyone went silent.

"Alright soldiers," Commander Jenny began, " I have some important news to share with you. Apparently, we've gotten news about the capitol shifting the prisoners to a different area in a few days. After that, we wont be able to find them again; So President Coin has issued us with a grant that allows us to conduct the rescue mission sooner."

"How much sooner exactly?" Finnick piped up, excited by the prospect of seeing Annie again.

"Well, , it is to be tomorrow,"

A collection of murmuring went through the crowd. Tomorrow? Sure, we were prepared, we've been prepared for a while, but seriously, on such short notice? I looked at Katniss, and noticed she was as shocked as I was. What the hell was Coin thinking? We didn't even have supplies ready. The only one who seemed happy about this mess was Finnick. Of course he'd be happy, he's gonna see Annie a whole lot sooner now.

"Your supplies are being readied. You are to report to the hovercraft dock first thing in the morning in your soldier outfit, and you will board the hovercraft, which will then take you to the capitol. We are planning to shoot some propos, so make sure you don't make a fool of yourselves," Coin said haughtily, her cold gray eyes full of something I could not identify.

_**Okay, i dont blame you guys if you want to murder me in my sleep. Trust me, i know how horrible it feels when an author doesn't update soon enough, so before you guys come storming to my house with pitchforks, let me give you my excuse.**_

_**Ive gotten into an International Bacculurate school (YAY!) and seriously, i barely get enought time to sleep, much less do what i love.**_

_**god, i swear, i have atlest 6 hours of homework each day. High school is suckier than i thought it would be.**_

_**but ive gotten a break reacently, so ill try to the best of my ability to update as soon as i can..**_

_**Thanks guys for your continued support**_

_**~Reaper**_


	23. Chapter 23: Gale and Madge: Lost Love

_**Gale's POV  
**_

" What. ," I said, hearing what Coin said. She was shipping us off to the Capitol….tomorrow? A surge of anger bubbled up inside me. That bitch had no right to send us off like that without a moment's notice. I tightened my grip around Madge's hand. She looked up at me, one of her eyebrows arching upward, with a look of question. I took a deep breath, and shook my head with a look that said "later".

I controlled my anger until Coin finished her speech, and walked out with a haughty look on her face, the same face I wanted to punch in so badly. We heard her footsteps echo down the hallway until she was out of range, and started firing at Jenny with question

"What the Hell Jenny! Why is she shipping us off?"

"Are you sure we're prepared enough,"

"What the heck is wrong with her, what side is she on?"

I watched as the commander took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stood stick still.

"SILENCE!" she yelled. I flinched back in shock. Jenny never yelled at any of her troops. She had an angry expression on, yet underneath it, was sympathy. She understood what we were going through. Everyone sat down, and looked at her intently. She sighed, and began.

"I know you're all wondering why the hell Coin did this. Truth be told, I have no idea either. Thing is, Alma Coin knows that our troop is one of the best there is. She knows that we're ready, and she's ready to risk anything to save the prisoners that Snow took. For now, there is nothing I can do. All we can do, is hope that the Capitol's defense system is not too advanced. Until then soldiers. I expect all of you to get a good nights rest, and be here in the weapons room at six o'clock sharp. From there, we will proceed to get our desired weapons and board a hovercraft. We will launch a surprise attack on president snow's mansion, and if all goes well, we will get the prisoners back, and then the next step will be the downfall of the Capitol!" she said, her face slowly breaking into a smile. We all cheered. Suddenly, my bad mood lifted. That means my family could go back to district 12 sooner, and perhaps, I could get on with my life. Which reminds me.

I glanced at Peeta, waiting for his call. He looked at me, and held up one finger signaling to wait a moment. I frowned. He's the one who gave me an opportunity I was waiting for._ "c'mon peeta, we talked about this, when are we gonna do it_?" I thought impatiently. Suddenly, he gave me the thumbs up symbol. Everyone was scattered around the room, just talking and chatting. He went over to Katniss and took her hand, leading her to the center of the room. I got my hands on Madge.

"Gale? What are you doing?" she asked as I dragged her to where Peeta and Katniss were.

"Just a sec Madge,"

I watched, as Peeta got down on one knee in front of Katniss. Her eyes widened, as she realized what was coming. Suddenly, Finnick's eyes caught us.

"OY EVERYBODY. COME HERE, BREADBOY IS PROPOSING!" he yelled, catching everyone's attention. Everybody gathered at the center of the room, watching them. Katniss blushed a deep cherry red, but Peeta held his proud smile and composure. He cleared his throat.

"Katniss Everdeen, I have loved you since I was five, I have admired you from afar, I have helped you in times of need, and you have helped me back. Now I wish to stay with you for the rest of our lives. Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?" he asked, opening a small black box, revealing a ring inside. The ring had a simple pearl on it, Katniss's pearl. I saw tears leech out of her eyes.

"Oh god Peeta Yes!" she said, " When did you get my pearl implanted into this? Last I saw it, it was just a golden band!"

"I had some spare time," he said. He turned to me and nodded, and I knew it was my turn. I turned to Madge, and got down on one knee. Her eyes visibly widened and she gasped.

"There is not a person I love more than you. When I first saw you, the quiet Mayor's daughter, I despised you for being from Town. I thought of you as snobby, but that all changed when I got to know you. I found out that you were an amazing person, someone unique and special, the sapphire in the rough. I love you with all my heart, and I want to love you for the rest of my life. So I'm asking this one question. Margaret Undersee, will you marry me?" I said softly, pouring out my heart to her. Tears escaped her eyes as I opened the black velvet box I was holding. Inside, there was a silver ring, with a small blue sapphire embedded in it. Inscripted around the band were the words _I love you_. When I saw it that day in District 13's bridal store, I knew it was the one for Madge. I felt her arms wrap around my shoulders as she embraced me.

"Gale Hawthorne, I would've never expected this from you," she said silently in my ear, and got up. "And the answer is yes," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. I heard cheering around me, as she dove forward and planted her lips on mine. Her lips tasted like strawberries, a sweet memory of our times together. I kissed her passionately, not wanting this to end, and only broke away from lack of oxygen. My head was floating. She said yes! I could not believe she said yes. Never in my life did I imagine marrying Madge. A bunch of guys congratulated Peeta and I, slapping us on the back. Only around dinner time did everyone clear out of the room. I held Madge's hand, now complete with a ring, and walked to the Cafeteria.

"So Gale, when did you and Peeta come up with this?" Madge asked, smirking at me slightly.

"Uhhh, well, ummm, about three days ago," I said, slightly stuttering. She looked at me and grinned. Suddenly, her hand found my collar and she pulled my head down.

"Well should I say, it's probably the smartest thing you've ever done," she said seductively, and kissed me slowly on the lips. My hands tangled in her hair, and her hands found my hair. We stood there, making out until we heard someone clear their throat.

"Ummm, if you guys don't mind, I'd really appreciate if you didn't do that in the hallway. I think I have to go bleach my eyes out now," I heard Finnick say. I looked over to see him crossing his arms and smirking. But under that smirk was undeniable sadness. I looked at him.

"Still missing her man?" I said with more gentleness than I knew I had. He nodded his head slightly, and looked up, his eyes glistening.

"You're going to see her tomorrow, we're going to get her back," I said. He nodded at me and smiled. We made our way down to the cafeteria, and ate as soon as we could. I was about to go to Madge's room when I stopped.

"You go right ahead Madge, I'll be there in a few minutes," I said, and made my way down the hallway, to where my family was staying. I heard Prim's voice inside talking to my mother. I cleared my throat and knocked on the door, and instantly, the voices stopped. I heard footsteps coming to the door, when suddenly, I felt someone poke me in the shoulder, scaring the shit out of me. I turned around to see Madge smirking at me. I was about to get her back, when the door opened and a small bundle ran into my legs, making me trip and sprawl out in the hallway.

"GALE!" cried Posy, hugging my legs. Dang she was getting big. Posy was nearly seven now, but she still acted like a four year old. I saw Rory pick her off of me and I got up.

"Its nice to see you too Posy," I said, getting down on my knees and enveloping her in a hug. Her small arms hugged me back. "Why don't we go inside and talk?" I asked her and she shook her head yes. I held her hand and walked in.

Prim was sitting on Rory's bed, talking to Vick. They seemed to be in intense conversation, and Vick was hanging on her every word. I looked at Vick, and I no longer saw the pansy he used to be. Instead, I saw a strong twelve year old, forced to grow up too fast. I stared at him in amazement. Rory and I took after our dad when it came to looks, but Vick and Posy look like our mother. This boy who stood before me had her strong personality, and yet gentle looks and promises.

"Vick! Look, Gale's here!" Posy said happily. Vick's eyes widened, and he ran over to hug me.

"Missed you bro," he said, his voice cracking. I hugged him back. Hell, he grew nearly six inches since I last saw him, and that was only about a month ago when I was in the hospital. Prim came over to me and smiled, and Rory signed ferociously. Prim translated for us.

"Rory wants you to tell mom what you did," she said. My mother beamed when Prim called her "Mom". Rory looked at me expectantly.

"Um, Ma…I gotta tell you something," I said, looking at her. She looked at me. Suddenly, my words stuck in my throat. I grabbed Madge's hand and showed my mother the ring. It took her a moment to understand, but when she did, her face broke into a smile and she hugged me and Madge.

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me Gale!" she chastised, but kissed us both on the cheeks. When she drew away, she had a devlish smile on her face. I knew that look, and it signaled no good.

"So when can I expect my grandbabies?" she asked blatantly. Madge turned a deep shade of red and I felt heat rush through my face.

"Mom….c'mon, I only just proposed to her. I'll take it that you're okay with this,"

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just checking,"

The rest of the afternoon went amazingly. Madge, Prim, Rory, and I stayed up later than we should have considering that we were going into battle tomorrow. Finally, around ten o'clock, my mother shooed us out of the room and told us to go to bed. Rory was spending the night with Prim and I with Madge. Ma stopped me at the door.

"Gale, honey, I want you to promise something,"

"Yes Ma?"

"I want you to promise me that you'll come back to me. And I want you to promise that you will protect Madge out there,"

"I-I will Ma. I promise," I told her, my voice slightly cracking and tears escaping my eyes. My mother enveloped me in one last hug and let me go.

"Now go have fun with her tonight!" she teased me. I blushed bright red from embarrassment.

"MA!" I complained laughing. She laughed too, but underneath that laugh was pain. Pain that her little boy may never come back. I choked back my feelings and made my way to Madge's room. She was already in bed, snoring gently. I took off my shirt and pants and changed into a pair of shorts. I climbed in under the sheets with Madge and instantly she curled up next to me and put her head on my chest. I listened to her breathing deepen, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Gale honey, get up," I heard Madge say. I groaned and opened my eyes, squinting against the harsh light of the bedroom. Madge was getting dressed. Her hair looked freshly washed, and I could smell her strawberry shampoo all the way from here. Ah, strawberries. Never gets old.

"Time?" I ask her.

"5:15. Thought I'd wake you up about now so that we could get to the weapons room by six," she said smiling sweetly. I groaned and got out of bed. Madge's eyes widened as she saw my abs, but she didn't say anything. I decided to mess with her.

"How you like my abs Madge?" I said, flexing them. She turned bright red and started to smirk.

"Oh, those measly things. Finnick has bigger ones,"

Now it was my turn to look flustered. "No he doesn't," I argued with her. She just came up to me and smirked. I grabbed her and held her close, and she bend my head down and touched my lips to hers. God, I could not get enough of those strawberry lips. We continued making out until Madge stopped us, saying that we're gonna be late. I put on my best pout and trudged into the bathroom.

45 minutes later, we were on a hovercraft, on our way to the Capitol. Madge's hand was in mine, and it offered me little consolation that her hands were just as warm and sweaty as mine. Katniss was leaning on Peeta's shoulder, her eyes drooping. I raised my eyebrow at him, and he mouthed back _long night, nightmares._ I sighed. Everyone was a little on edge today, considering this wasn't training, or one of Beetee's fancy simulations. All of us could get severely hurt here. Suddenly, our pilot spoke.

"Attention everyone. We are to be landing in a few short moments. There is a small landing dock on one of the capitol houses that belongs to one of our spies. Once we land, we will attain our orders and proceed to rescue the prisoners,"

I sat stiff with anticipation. Now or never. I felt the hovercraft touch down, and our seats unfastened. I jumped up and stretched my sore muscles, and picked up my gun. Beetee had altered my gun so that it shot out arcs of electricity for short range, and if I pressed a button, turned into an archery kit within .03 seconds. It was fucking awesome, but not as cool as Katniss's bow, which responds to her every touch and is voice activated. Madge had a knife and spear kit, and a gun. Turns out, she was pretty good at close combat. I learned that the hard way after she kneed me in the area a few weeks ago. Commander Jenny is in the front, all decked out in commando gear, as were we.

"Okay troops, its now or never. Today is the day where we find our worth on this ground. Today is the day we fight for Panem, and the day we earn our loved ones back!" she declared. We all nervously cheered, goaded on by adrenaline.

"Okay troops, I will deploy you to your stations. Primrose, Rory, Leeg 1, Leeg 2, and Octavio, you are disarming duty. You will make sure that the pods don't go off, and you will disarm them." Prim and Rory nodded and looked at eachother. Leeg1 and Leeg 2 were both twin sisters, and they wore the same exact grim look on their faces. Octavio was a strong district 7 lumberjack who was stealthy as hell. They made a good team. I prayed that neither my brother or Prim got hurt.

" Katniss, Peeta, Chase, Allister, and Rebecca, you will be responsible for disarming the peacekeepers and wiping them out," Jenny said. Peeta's jaw tightened, and Katniss's eyes developed a hard glint in them. Chase, a golden blonde with gray eyes, tightened his grip on his gun. Allister and Rebecca stood up straight, and saluted.

"Finally, Finnick, Madge, Gale, and I will sneak into the President's mansion and rescue the captured," she said. I felt Madge's hand tighten its grip around mine, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze. She looked at me and grinned nervously. Finnick looked like he couldn't wait to see his Annie again. Jenny's eyes were full of fire, but below them, was something I couldn't identify.

We were led outside to the inside of the large house. God, this place was huge! It was atleast 15 times as large as my house. I wondered who lived here.

Suddenly, a very familiar looking woman came up. She did not look like the Capitol people I knew. She was dressed in a simple teal vest and skinny jeans, with leather boots. She had tanned golden skin, and tealish eyes, and gorgeous red hair. Suddenly, I heard Katniss squeal.

"EFFIE?!" she said, tackling the woman in a hug. The woman laughed and hugged her and Peeta back. My eyes widened. This was Katniss's crazy escort? Last I remember her, she looked like a pink overgrown flamingo. I watched as they hugged and she whispered a few things to them. Jenny talked to her. Finally, she turned to face us.

"Okay troops, I have given the leaders of your troop a holocuff. This projects a map of where you need to go and what you need to do, and it allows you to communicate. All of you also have a communicuff, in case of emergency. Now troops please deploy within the hour,"

I walked to our group and followed Jenny. We worked our way out of Effie's goddamn huge house and made our way down the street. It was surprisingly empty and eerie, and I couldn't help but feel as if we were walking into a trap. I saw a notice tacked to one of the houses.

CAPITOL IS BEING EVACUATED

PRESIDENT SNOW ORDERS EVERYONE TO EVACUATE AND GO TO THE SAFE CITY IN THE FOREST NORTH OF THE CAPITOL

THIS ORDER IS ISSUED DUE TO REBEL RESISTANCE IN THE CAPITOL

THIS ORDER IS TO BE OBEYED IMMEDEATLY.

"Huh, apparently they evacuated," I said to the team. We were able to make it to the President's mansion safely, and even managed to get to the holding rooms without resistance.

"Holy shit , is that Rue?" I asked looking at one of the jail rooms. Inside was a young woman around Prim's age, with large golden eyes and curly hair and dark brown skin.

"Did you guys come here to save us?" she asked cautiously. I held out my universal key, which was issued to us to open any lock we came across, and I opened her cell door. She gasped, and approached me cautiously. Jenny started giving orders.

"Okay prisoners, we are going to set you free. Once you are set free, there is a group outside waiting for you. Someone will be waiting for you at every floor to make sure you go the right way,"

We started unlocking doors. People I never thought I'd see again, and people who weren't supposed to be alive.

"I see dead people," I muttered, trying to unlock the cage of a brown haired guy around my age. I could've sworn I saw him in the hunger games one year. Suddenly, I heard Finnick yell out.

"Annie! Johanna!" he yelled, hugging two woman that just came out of one of the cages. Johanna Mason I could recognize, with her sarcastic grin and red hair. Annie, she looked a little different. Her stomach bulged a bit, but not with fat. I realized what it was.

"Whoa, Finnick, man, you didn't happen to…."

"Yes, Annie is my wife, I married her privately, and yes, I did 'knock her up'."

Madge came next to me and chuckled, freeing another room of prisoners. So many people that the capitol took hostage. We were able to send them out to the rescue team outside, which basically was Prim and Rory's team. Suddenly, just as we got the last prisoner out, we heard gunshots.

I ran outside to see a few peacekeepers running down the hallway. Madge and I started shooting them down, but a few more replaced the ones that went down. A bullet skimmed my shoulder and I winced in pain. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a peacekeeper shoot at Madge.

"NO!" I yelled, ducking in front of her. Intense pain suddenly shot up my torso, and I collapsed.

"GALE!" I heard Madge scream. I felt her drag me back into the holding room. I put a hand on my chest and stomach, and it came back sticky with blood. I slowly sit up, ignoring the waves of pain that were throbbing through me. I saw the source of blood. That bastard had shot me in the chest and stomach. I think it missed vital organs, but it hurt like hell just took a bite out of me. I tried to get up, grimacing in pain. My vision was going all tunnel.

"Gale, no don't get up, you'll be okay. No, don't die on me, tell me you'll be okay," Madge sobbed next to me. I sat up slowly, and before I could think. I planted my lips on hers. We kissed with intense passion, while the gunshots outside ceased. Finally, we broke away.

Madge helped me up, and we went out into the hallway. Finnick made sure any stragglers weren't left behind, so he was already up there. The only people left were Jenny, Madge, and I. In the hallway, Jenny was cleaning off the top of her gun, which was covered in blood.

"Had to hit him in the head with this," she said nonchalantly. She looked at me and her eyes widened. "Lets get out of here. You need medical help,"

I was too tired to argue, so I let them lead me up until we were one floor underneath the ground. Suddenly, we heard something shake, and a loud noise penetrated our eardrums. The whole building started to shake. A serpent-like voice crackled over the speaker.

"Hello my beautiful Rebels, its me, Cornelius Snow. Pleased to see that you have thwarted my plans and killed my peacekeepers. No matter, I will kill whoever disarmed my lazers and other surprises. Now for my last attempt at stopping you. There is a grenade stored inside the building. It will now go off and cause other grenades to go. Goodbye my dear rebels. You've overstayed your welcome,"

Fear seized my heart. I have to get Madge out of here. We started running, when suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and we were buried under tons of rubble.

Madge and Jenny screamed. I saw Jenny get hit in the head by a cinder block, and go down.

"Jenny!" I screamed, trying to get to our commander. Already, blood was starting to pour from a gash in her head. I took a step towards her when I saw the ceiling come down. I quickly grabbed Madge and wrapped myself around her, and held onto Jenny. Suddenly, We were all pinned down. I felt a sharp piece of metal digging into my back, cutting the skin. My whole body ached and throbbed, and I was under so much pain that it cancelled out. I heard Madge say something.

"Gale….Jenny's dead. She's not breathing, and she doesn't have a heartbeat." Madge said whimpering. I wrapped myself around Madge tighter, not willing anything to happen to her. Suddenly, she cried out as the rock shifted and the edge of a stair implanted itself in her side. I was led to think she may have broken a rib. I felt the blood from my bullet wounds coat the floor.

Time passed, and I felt my breathing get shallower. Suddenly, I couldn't catch a breath. I gasped in air, making Madge cry out in fear.

"GALE! STAY WITH ME! DON'T LEAVE ME PLEASE! DON'T DIE!" she screamed, but I couldn't help it. The pain was too much. A sudden weightless feeling enveloped me. This must be how it feels to die. I've failed you Ma. I'm not going to make it home.

Atleast I could look at Madge one last time. I looked at her scared face, and blackness took me away.

_**Madge's POV**_

We were pinned down to the ground for who knows how long. Gale's situation scared me. He was bleeding out onto the floor, and I could feel his blood soaking my combat jacket. His bullet wounds wouldn't coagulate, but he didn't complain. Other than the occasional grimace, he stayed still. I couldn't believe things were turning for the worst so soon. I winced as the stairladder dug deeper into my broken ribs, cutting skin.

We lay there for what seemed like hours, until suddenly, Gale started gasping like a fish. I screamed and begged him to stay awake, and to stay with me, but to no avail. I started sobbing. He looked at me one last time, smiled gently, and went limp.

I screamed. He wasn't breathing anymore, and his pulse was nonexistent. He was gone. He was dead, just like Jenny was. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. Gale was supposed to live. We were supposed to defeat president snow. Gale and I were supposed to get married, and have beautiful children together. I cried and looked at him; His muscular handsome face, his beautiful lips which were vaguely blue, his tousled hair, his beautiful eyes which were now closed. Suddenly, I heard voices.

"Madge, Gale, Jenny! Are you guys in there?" I heard Finnick's voice call out. I tried to respond, but was too weak to. Suddenly, I felt the stair dig deeper into my ribs, and I yelled out in pain as blood started gushing from my side. And then suddenly, as if by magic, the pain was gone. I felt myself being carried in someone's arms, and I looked up to see Peeta. Suddenly, my body felt weightless, and darkness pulled me under.

_**Gale/Madge shippers im sooooo sorry! I really had trouble writing this, cause i could imagine it in my head, and it made me cry...like...a lot.**_

_** .fanatic12 im soo sorry. You said you wanted some Gale, but this was where the story was going.**_

_**thanks to all of you for your reviews and support. i really appreciate it!**_

_**i think that this may be my longest chapter yet WOOHOOO!**_

_**~Reaper**_


	24. Chapter 24:Katniss and Prim: Dead

_**This may be my longest chapter so far! woohooo! anyway, this is from Katniss and Prim's Pov, and is kinda heartfelt and cheesy, so keep yer tissues ready.**_

_**Katniss's POV**_

The mission was going pretty well considering the daunting task that Commander Jenny gave us. I met the other members of my team outside. Chase was a golden blonde, with icy blue eyes. It was scary how much he reminded me of Cato, and how similar the two looked. Allister was a tall willowy girl with puffy brown hair and purple eyes. Apparently her eyes got transplanted somehow after a serious accident. Rebecca was from the Seam, and a few years older than me. She had a one year old baby boy that died in the woods when they were escaping district 12. Out of all of my teammates, I can connect to her the most. She has dark seam hair that is cropped just below her chin, and chilling grayish blue eyes. She's kind enough, but she reminds me of Hazelle, the way that she seems so strong and yet her eyes hold great pain.

I walked outside and strapped on my holocuff. Jenny had appointed me leader of my squad. I quickly pressed the button on the side, and stepped over to my group as instructions materialized above my wrist in the air.

INSTRUCTIONS:

HEAD TO THE PRESIDENT'S MANSION AND WIPE OUT ANY PEACEKEEPERS ALONG THE WAY.

WHEN PRISONERS COME OUT OF THE BUILDING, SAFELY GATHER THEM IN SMALL POCKETS AND LEAD THEM TO THE HOVERCRAFT.

WE HAVE INSIDE INFO THAT PRESIDENT SNOW IS IN A MANSION TO THE NORTH, AND WE ARE SENDING OUR STRONGEST TROOPS TO CAPTURE HIM AND BRING DOWN THE CAPITOL.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT, SPLIT AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY RENDEVOUS POINT.

GOOD LUCK MOCKINGJAY. WERE COUNTING ON YOU.

The hologram faded away. So we weren't part of the main rescue, just a spare team that Coin sent. I mulled over what this would mean when Cressidia and her camera crew walked out of the building.

"Hello Katniss!" she said, a bit too happily. Her tone piped down a bit. "President Coin wants us to shoot propo's for you guys, and generally help you if we can."

"Yeah, that's fine," Peeta said from behind me. I cleared my throat, and told everyone the plan.

Twenty minutes later, we were sneaking down the Capitol streets. A bunch of disarmed pods were in front of us, courtesy of Prim and Rory's squad. I desperately hoped nothing would happen to them. We were able to make it to city square, when I heard a click behind me.

"KATNISS! Look out!" Peeta yelled, diving in front of me. A bullet entered his right shoulder, and I saw a peacekeeper on the roof. Chase shot down the peacekeeper, aiming his gun and looking for more. Suddenly, the door of the nearest house opened, and a flood of peacekeepers barged out. Shit. This was not supposed to happen. I notched my arrow at the nearest peackeeper, and fired. Gunshots echoed around me, and my body went into combat mode as I evaded and knocked the living daylights out of almost a dozen peacekeepers. Peeta and the gang were behind me, wiping out people left and right. The peacekeepers were dropping like flies. I aimed at the last peacekeeper, my arrow notched, when suddenly he lifted his hand to his mouth and held up three fingers. The Mockingjay salute. I froze as he took off his helmet, revealing tousled black hair, a tan handsome complexion, and shockingly blue eyes. He looked the same age as me, around eighteen, but I could tell that the war has aged him.

"Whoa, don't shoot!" he exclaimed. "I'm on your side."

"How exactly can we tell that you're on our side?" I asked incredulously.

"Snow always melts but the Mockingjay does not die willingly," he said out loud, causing my eyes to widen. Where have I heard that before? Suddenly, my mind flashes back to a press conference that we had a few weeks ago. I remember Coin saying something like that.

_"We have allies in the capitol. If you hear anyone utter the saying 'Snow always melts but the Mockingjay does not die willingly' you will know that you are among allies," _

I slowly lowered my arrow, and he visibly relaxed and walked forward, extending his hand. I looked at it warily, but didn't shake it. He could have a device clipped to his arm that could possibly kill me.

"Ahh, wary one are you? Don't worry, I don't bite. My name is Jackson Voltaire. I think you may know my aunt, Annie Cresta?"

My eyes widened. This was Annie's nephew? Huh, she never told us that. I shakily held out my hand, and he gripped it and shook.

"It's an honor to meet you Mockingjay," he said, smiling. He let go of my hand, and held up a finger.

"I have orders that I am to escort you to Snow's mansion. I know the routes the peackeepers take, and there are not many left in the capitol after the evacuation notice, but I can get you where you need to go safely," he said. I nodded at him, and we continued on our way. I felt a strong hand grip mine, and I looked over to see Peeta looking as nervous as ever as the President's Mansion loomed into view.

We got closer, and I realized people were coming out of the Mansion in groups. I recognized Prim and Rory helping them, although Prim's arm was bandaged and so was Rory's torso. I walked toward Prim when the sight of someone made me stop.

Rue.

I see dead people.

A young woman was being helped out of the building. She had dark cocoa colored skin, and black luscious hair. Her eyes were a golden color. She was a little shorter than me, but not by much. Right next to her was a huge man who I recognized. Thresh. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Nope. I looked over at Peeta and saw his jaw hanging open, staring incredulously at the two. I shakily walked over, and the woman caught my eye, and for a second she froze. Then, getting over her initial shock, I saw her barrel at me.

"KATNISS!" she screamed, hugging me. I stood stiff, not understanding. She looked straight at me, and realization snapped in her eyes. She made her mouth a perfect 'O', and started whistling.

The four note song that signaled the end of the work day in District 11.

The song that the Mockingjay's stopped to listen to.

Rue's melody.

A sudden onslaught of memories hit me as I struggled to gain control of this situation. I saw visions of Rue dying, the spear sticking out of her belly. Memories of my games that the song triggered filled my vision, when I suddenly realized it. This was Rue. I grabbed ahold of her and started crying, tears of joy and tears of sadness. I felt my shoulder wetten with her tears. Dear sweet Rue, who died in front of my eyes, was now with me again. Then suddenly, a warm body hurtled itself at me, wrapping me in a hug before I was able to process anything. I looked over my shoulder, to see a tear streaked face much like mine.

It was my mother. She looked gaunt, like they haven't been feeding her well, and scars ran up and down her arms. Her lovely hair had lost its sheen, and now looked dead, streaked with gray hairs. I could feel her bones under her grip. My dear mother, was now back.

I went around, meeting the few that I knew that had been captured. I met Clove, who didn't remember anything that happened since a year before the games, due to the rock that Thresh chucked at her skull, and she had lost her mean streak. I met Annie, who was apparently five months pregnant. I went around, waiting for the last of the survivors to arrive. The last few straggled out, but Gale and Madge and Commander Jenny were still in there. Agonizing minutes passed, and yet they still did not emerge from the building. Where were they?

Suddenly, the downstairs windows shattered, and a defening boom shook the President's mansion. I watched in horror, frozen to the spot, as the building collapsed on the spot. Gale. Madge. Jenny. They were still in there. Hot tears came to my eyes as I imagined what had happened to them. Gale and Madge, engaged, about to get married, meeting their tragic ends. Suddenly, Peeta shouted something to the crowd of people. The big burly men, including Thresh, nodded, and proceeded towards the building. The started picking up chunks of rubble. No point in taking cover, the Capitol was deserted anyway. I watched as they slowly made progress. They got one floor down, when suddenly, someone yelled something indistinct. Suddenly, the group of men progressed to the area, and I watched in horror as three bodies were lifted out. I heard the steady hum of a hovercraft as it landed near us. Someone must have told the pilot to come. I ran to the bodies, and gasped. It was horrible. Commander Jenny's head was mutilated, scarred by rock and rubble, and she was cold and her lips blue. She'd been dead for a while. Rory picked up her body and took it to the hovercraft, his face slightly gray. Two other bodies were there, holding hands, the larger one wrapped around the smaller in a protective stance. Peeta picked up a body, and I recognized it to be Madge. He was crying, telling her to stay awake. Her ribs were jutting out of her flesh, sharp points, and she was barely breathing. She smiled once, and then her eyes fluttered closed and she went limp. Peeta started running faster towards the hovercraft, where people were now boarding. I looked at the last body, which Finnick was starting to pick up. Finnick's face was ashen, and had a greenish tint to it. It wasn't hard to see why.

The last body was Gale's.

I saw my childhood friend, covered in blood. His handsome face was severely scratched up, probably from the concrete. Two bullet holes studded his chest and torso, and he was limp. His leg was twisted at an odd angle. Worst thing was, his lips were blue, and when Finnick went to check for a pulse, he came up crying.

Gale was dead, and lord knows how long.

I followed Finnick to the cart, where they lay Gale out on a stretcher. I sat down next to him, holding his hand. The strong hands that were strong enough to mine coal, but gentle enough to set snares. They were calloused from his days in the mines, and were slowly healing. His eyes were closed, and if it weren't for the scratches on his face, he looked like he was asleep. Suddenly, I could hold it in no longer. I started to cry, grabbing at my hair, beating my fists against his chest. No, he can't be gone. He's too strong to die. Visions of our times together raced through my head.

_I was walking through the forest. It had been about a year since my father died, but that did not make the pain lessen. My mother couldn't provide for us, she was a living shell. I've been going into the woods for a few weeks now, trying to salvage any food that I could. I had shot two squirrels, and I had a bag full of tuber and berries, just enough to provide for us for two days or so. I went to check my snares, only to come up disappointed, for they were all empty. Suddenly, I saw a rabbit hanging from a branch. I curiously went over. It was caught in a snare, but the snare was not mine. I went over to inspect it when I heard a voice._

_ "Stealing is punishable by death you know," said a boy leaning against a tree, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was handsome, but gaunt. He looked a few years older than me._

"_I wasn't stealing it, I was only checking how you made your snare,"_

"_Alright, but I can report you to the peacekeepers for sneaking out to the woods,"_

"_Same goes for you,"_

"_Fair point," he said. He looked at me, "What's your name?"_

"_Katniss," I whispered._

"_Catnip? Like the plant?"_

"_No, Katniss, like the tuber that grows at the bottom of the lake,"_

"_Oh, alright. So Katniss, how exactly did you catch those two squirrels," he said, eyeing the plump animals that were hanging at my belt._

"_Oh, I'm not very good with snares, but I'm very good with a bow and an arrow," I said, bringing out my father's bow._

"_May I see that?" the boy asked. I reluctantly handed it over. _

"_Stealing is punishable by death you know," I said, and he laughed._

"_You seem like a nice girl Katniss. My name's Gale, it's nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand, and handing my bow back. I shook his hand, and started our friendship._

"GET UP GALE!" I screamed, shaking his shoulders. He stayed limp, not a single sign of life. I started beating on his chest, screaming at him to wake up. I was vaguely aware of someone grabbing my shoulder, trying to make me stop, but it didn't register. I screamed my head off, not caring what anyone thought, and continued to beat on his chest. Suddenly, his body arched off the stretcher. A strangled moan came out of his mouth. I stared at him dumbfounded, as Gale started breathing, strangled, gurgly, labored breaths. What the fuck did I just do? There was a moment when everyone was silent. Suddenly, I heard Peeta yell. Glad to know that someone was thinking straight.

"Someone get a medic!" he yelled. I saw a man in combat fatigues come over. He had a red plus sign on his lapel. He started wheeling Gale to the back of the hovercraft, where the medical room was. I was escorted back there with him.

In the back, there were two other stretchers. One had Madge on it, bandaged up the best she could be and under intensive care. Her heartbeat was faint, practically nonexistent. The other stretcher was covered in a white cloth. Hot tears blinded me as a thought of what might be under that blanket came to mind.

They hooked Gale up to multiple machines, all of which I had no idea what they do. They gave him a morphine shot, and immeadeatly, his moans stopped. Then the doctor escorted me out of the room, telling me to wait with the others while he works on saving Gale.

I walked out of the room, still a bit shell shocked about what had just happened. Did I just bring him back to life? Oh dear god, what did I just do? I felt Peeta sit down next to me, and put an arm around me, easing me onto his shoulder and gently stroking my hair. He was bloodstained and tear streaked, and the bandage on his arm was soaked with blood, but he didn't seem to care. I leaned onto his shoulder, and his head was on top of mine. In a few moments, I heard his breathing even and I knew he was asleep. I looked around the hovercrafts. Annie's head was on Finnick's shoulder, and her left hand was on her swollen stomach in a protective gesture. Finnick's head was leaning back, and he had his eyes closed. He also had one hand on Annie's stomach. I looked at them, and suddenly my mind changed what I saw so that it was Peeta and I who were sitting like that, not Finnick and Annie. I felt a pang inside of me, while I thought of what could have been. I put my hand on my torso, the place where my baby could have been. I thought of where we might be if Glimmer hadn't stabbed me, causing me to miscarry. I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, and focused on the scene in front of me. Practically everyone was asleep, exhausted by the mission or their time in the Capitol as prisoners. My mother was sitting in between Prim and Rue, and both girls were leaning on her shoulders. Thresh was in the corner, silently sleeping with his arms crossed. I saw Clove sitting next to Chase, on the verge of falling asleep. He was looking at her with a sad expression, as if he'd known her before this. Again it struck me how much he looked like Cato, but this guy didn't have scars that Cato had when he was ripped up by the mutts. I looked around, and saw Rory in the corner, whittling something out of wood. His face was tear streaked. I saw him look up at me, his face full of sadness. Suddenly, I was exhausted. I felt my eyes slowly close, until I was whisked off to sleep.

_**Prim's POV**_

The mission was going exceptionally well. Rory, Leeg 1, Leeg 2, and Octavio were probably the best people for this job. Octavio checked the holocuff that was given to him.

"Alright," he said in his gruff voice, " we have to disable about seventeen pods if we are to allow the other teams to get to the capitol safely. Our first pod is the brick that's sticking out of that house over there. If I am right, there should be tracker jackers in that one. Luckily, I have a certain spray that is lethal to any bug out there, so we should be fine. Everyone needs to keep their guard up though, I don't want any accidents,"

We all nodded obediently. Rory turned to me, a look of determination on his face, and we set off.

Never in my life have I felt so important. To everyone, I was just Katniss's little sister, little Primrose, the sweet innocent girl who couldn't take care of herself, and wouldn't hurt a fly. They didn't realize how wrong they were.

We arrived near the first pod. Leeg 1 shot a small electric burst at it, and immeadealty, the block exploded and tracker jackers flew out. Octavio was fast, and he sprayed them, but not before one stung Leeg 2. It was only one, so she was fine, only a bit dizzy. We continued on. Two pods disabled. Three pods disabled. Five. Ten. Twelve. It went smoothly, with minor injuries. We were okay until the sixteenth pod.

The sixteenth pod contained some type of mystery substance, and would be activated when someone stepped on a certain cobblestone. Unfortunatly, we had a brief estimate of which stone that was, but no way of knowing for sure. We cautiously walked around the area of cobblestones, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly, I stepped on a stone, and heard a brief click. Uh Oh.

"PRIM!" I heard a hoarse voice yell." I felt someone push me aside. I saw a purple liquid fly out of a jar on the windowsill. It came at me and the person in front of me. The person in front of me screamed in agony as the liquid his his torso and his wrist, and he dropped the ground. Some of the liquid splashed onto my arm, and snaked around it. I felt blinding pain race up my arm, as my skin began to burn. It was acid, and a really corrosive one. I screamed, and fell to the cobblestones. White hot pain raced up my arm, and my vision became fuzzy. I heard voices around me, and something wet on my arm. Suddenly, the pain lessened a bit, and I squinted open my eyes. My team was spraying some type of liquid on the other person's burns. It looked like the acid removal liquid, which took all traces of acid off of your skin and had a touch of liquefied morphine, which numbed the pain. The boy stopped crying out in pain. I opened my eyes all the way, and looked at him.

It was Rory. The acid had burned through his army fatigues, and his torso was a red swollen bloody mess. I could tell that he had been burned badly. His eyes were closed, and his long eyelashes brushed his cheeks. His hair was tousled, and he looked he had blacked out. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he moaned. I saw Leeg 1 bandaging his torso, and Leeg 2 came up to me with white bandages. She grabbed my arm, and started wrapping the bandage around it. I let her, and went over to Rory. I felt tears burn my cheeks. He shouldn't have done this for me. It was my own clumsiness that had hurt him.

He got up slowly, wincing slightly. He opened his mouth, and I didn't expect any words to come out. He was a medically induced avox, so he wouldn't be able to speak. To my surprise, he croaked out one word.

"Prim?"

I looked at him in shock. He was talking. He shouldn't be able to talk this soon. His vocal cords were burned pretty badly. I put my hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes, willing him to say more.

"I got my voice back," he said, slightly grinning. Without realizing it, I started to grin too.

"Why do you think you got it back?" I asked him, question coating my voice.

"Well, I saw the acid, and I knew you couldn't get hurt, and that I had to do something, so I subconsciously yelled, and my voice came out," he said, his brow furrowed. I could tell that he was trying to figure it out. Suddenly, he pulled me into a kiss.

His lips felt sweet and soft, and I felt myself melt into them. My hands found their way to his messy hair, and he opened his mouth, letting me slip my tongue inside. We deepened the kiss, moaning slightly, until we heard a chuckle. We pulled away and looked at our team, whose expression read various degrees of amusement.

"You guys do know this isn't the right place, or the right time. After we go back to district 13, you guys could have a night all to yourselves, but right now, we have to move," said Octavio, his face growing stern. We nodded, and went to the next pod. The last one. This one was a simple pod where a rope with hooks was thrown at you. The hooks would embed into your skin and hook on, causing intense pain and dragging the skin, cutting it. We were able to undo it safely. We continued on our way to the Capitol building, where some people were pouring out. Rory and I helped them out of the building. I saw people that shouldn't have been alive, but I didn't say anything, partially from exhaustion. Suddenly, I saw someone.

Mom. She was gaunt, pale, and sickly. She took one look at me, and grabbed me, pulling me into a hug.

"Oh my god, my baby, you're okay," she said, stroking my hair. I melted into her embrace, crying. Rory gave us our space, occasionally glimpsing us and smiling. My mother caught him while he was looking at us, and pulled him into a hug. He accepted it graciously, small tears sliding down his cheeks.

My mother went to go see someone else. I turned around to see Katniss and Peeta approaching, and they were hugging a small dark haired, dark skinned girl, who was about my height. My mother raced over to Katniss, and hugged her. I smiled. My family was almost whole.

The last prisoners came out, and we were guiding them to the hovercraft, when a jaw rattling boom shook the mansion. I looked behind me in horror, only to see that the president's mansion was collapsing in on itself. I heard Katniss cry out, and I understood why.

Gale, Madge, and Jenny were still inside the building. I watched in horror, as what could be around ninety pounds of rubble covered them. I saw Rory's expression turn to instant shock and horror. His brother was still inside the building. I heard Peeta give an order, and almost all of the men went to the rubble and started clearing it away. Agonizing minutes passed, and then someone yelled.

"Hey, I think I found something!"

An instant later, they lifted a large chunk of concrete, and I saw the worst sight I had seen in a long time. Commander Jenny was there, her face shattered by a large block of concrete. Gale was wrapped around Madge, his blood streaking the ground underneath them. Madge had a huge wound on her side, and one rib was jutting out of her skin, sharp at the end. Gale's leg was twisted at an odd angle, and his lips were blue. They were all covered in blood. A strangled cry caught at the back of my throat and my stomach churned. I was going to be sick. I ran over to the side of the building and puked. Dang, that was nasty. I wiped my mouth with my hand, trying to ignore the nasty taste in my mouth, and the hot tears bubbling up in my eyes, or the feeling that my throat is clogged and I cant speak. No. I ignore all these feelings, and head to the medical brig of the hovercraft. I enter, and I see commander Jenny is already there. Someone is covering her with a white cloth_. "So she really is dead,"_ I said, feeling tears prickle at the back of my throat again. I forced them down, and waited for the other two.

Someone wheeled Madge in. She looked horrible, bruises everywhere, and the rip of her ribs looked severe. I pushed down my feelings, and set to work. I set her ribs, and tried to keep every thing from bumping the broken rib until we got to district 13. I heard screaming outside, and I felt the hovercraft take off, but nothing mattered to me. The only thing that mattered was my patient. I gave her a blood and morphine drip, which would reduce the pain she was in. I bandaged her torso, and put a heart monitor and oxygen mask on her. I raised the bed's temperature setting so that it would emnate heat, promoting circulation. When I was convinced that all was done, I made sure that she was comfortable. Madge's breathing was shallow, but steady. I walked out, only to confront a sight that I thought I would never see.

Katniss was standing next to the stretcher that held a body. She was screaming Gale's name, telling him to come back, telling him to stop faking that he was dead. She was crying and screaming like a mad woman, beating on Gale's chest. Peeta was trying to restrain her, but it did no good.

Gale was…..dead? I finally felt my tears rush out. He was dead. Strong, tall, independent Gale was dead. I felt a hollowness in my heart. Oh my god…. How was Rory taking this?

I found him curled up in a ball at the end of the hovercraft, rocking back and forth, his eyes shut tight and a look of immense pain on his face. He was sobbing. I put my hands around his shoulders and he immeadeatly wrapped his arms around my torso, holding me close. I soothingly stroked his hair back.

"shhhh, don't cry, it'll be okay," I lied. I felt like a liar. Of course it wasn't going to be okay. He had just lost his brother, his role model, the one that took care of him. First his father and then his brother. He now had to take care of his younger siblings himself, and he didn't have anyone to help him. His brother was now dead, and his sister-in-law was standing at death's door. Why did the Capitol have to do this stuff to us. We never did anything. They robbed us of our innocence, took away the ones we love, forced us to kill. I scowled bitterly, thinking of the capitol's deeds. Suddenly, I noticed something was wrong. Katniss's screams had stopped. I looked up to see her looking at Gale's stretcher in shock. Then I noticed something. Gale's chest was moving.

He was alive.

"He's alive Rory!" I exclaimed. Rory got up, looking at his brothers stretcher with a mixture of feelings.

"He-he's alive?" he asked incredulously. I nodded, as the senior medic rolled Gale's stretcher into the medical brig. Rory smiled gently, a little bit of hope returning. I smiled a fake smile. Gale had a 25% chance of living right now. Still, a little bit of hope was better than nothing. Suddenly, Rory sighed, and took something out of his back pocket. It was a little block of wood. He took out a knife and started carving it.

"Why are you doing that?" is asked him.

"It helps keep me calm Prim," he said, his voice still scratchy and hoarse from misuse. "Why don't you go and get some sleep. We still have a few hours."

I nodded at him, too tired to comprehend why he was so monotonic when in reality, he should be jumping up and down. His dead brother just came back to life for goodness sake. I shrugged, and made my way to my mother's side, my mind not willing to comprehend what happened. I was just too tired. I lay my head on my mother's lap, and went to sleep.

_**okay, yeah, i was seriously thinking about killing off Gale. No, really. No matter how much i love Gale's character, i thought that killing him and Madge off would be a good move, and would probably make the whole story a hell lot more emotional. But when i got reviews from the last chapeter, a bunch of ppl PM-ED me and begged me not to kill Gale and Madge. I literally had most of the chapter written by then, and i cried a couple of times writing their deaths, but after many requests, i decided not to kill them. I still do have teh alternate chapter though, but im thinking of deleting it cause i cant read it without crying, or getting that weird hollow feeling in my chest.**_

_**so thats why i didn't kill him off.**_

_**Alright, so i know, the end was not written very well. Im kinda tired, so im not thinking straight. Yes,Rory's therapudic action is whittling wood, just as Finnick's is tying knots in rope. And no, Katniss has not gotten over the loss of her baby yet. Im thinking of writing a sequel to this story, and you'll see how long the death of her baby haunts her. This story only has a few chapters left, and yes, my methods of capturing snow are going to be crappy as heck. They're just going to randomly capture him. Dont ask how, cause i dont know myself. I honestly dont know how im going to finish this, but ill try the best i can. Again, only a few chapters to go!**_

_**~Reaper**_


	25. Chapter 25 :Finnick: Corpses

_**Finnick's POV**_

I was embracing Annie when I heard a jaw rattling boom behind me. I turned towards the Mansion to see it toppling to the ground, everything collapsing. Gale, Madge, and Jenny were still in there! I let go of Annie and stared at the building, shocked at what I was seeing. Why in hell would Snow make his own Mansion explode? I grabbed Annie and swiftly backed away from the building, and not a moment too soon. A huge chunk of rubble fell right where we were standing. The whole building was coming down, and it was coming down hard. I heard audible gasps and cries from our team as they realized that three soldiers were still down there. I watched as the last part of the building came down, and the dust settled. And then….eerie silence.

"Come on all of you, don't stand there, and help me lift this thing. They may still be alive!" Peeta yelled, the panic evident in his voice. Suddenly, everyone snapped out of their stupor. I ran to the wreckage, along with a couple dozen other men, and we started lifting rubble. I started getting more frantic after I saw how heavy the first block of concrete was. They were probably crushed flat by now. I started digging furiously, not caring that the concrete scratched my arms, making my blood run. Finally, I heard someone say something.

"Hey, I think I found something!" he said, sounding a bit panicked. I ran to the spot, to see something sticking out of the ground.

A hand.

I felt my stomach churn. A hand was sticking clear out of the rubble, its joints swollen and purple. It was pale, and speckled with blood.

"Oh my god," I said quietly, "whose is that?"

Peeta ran over to me, his face slightly turning green when he saw the hand. "Well don't just stand there! Dig!" he said, his resolution never faltering. I gripped my arms on the edge of the concrete slab, and lifted. My muscles strained, and beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. I and two other men tossed the block aside, and went in to inspect the damage.

It was horrible. The body the hand belonged to was Commander Jenny's. Her face was covered in blood and scratches, and her temple was dented. She was pale and waxy, and her lips were purple. Though she may have been beautiful in life, she certainly wasn't in death. I felt my stomach churn again. I looked over, and saw Prim run to the side of the building and hurl the contents of her stomach. When she ducked her head back into my view, her face was tinged green. "_Okay, so its not just me who finds this completely revolting," _I thought to myself. I watched Rory approach the group, his face turning slightly gray when he saw the body, but his eyes full of hope. If we found Commander Jenny, Gale and Madge were probably not far behind.

Rory picked up the body gingerly, and ran to the hovercraft, which was now parked in the square. We continued digging. Only moments later did we find the other two bodies.

It was horrible.

I felt bile rise up into my throat as I saw the crushed and mangled bodies. _"oh lord, the poor guy just go engaged," _I thought to myself. I had a brief illusion where Gale and Madge were replaced by Annie and I, and I felt myself puke a little in my mouth. I swallowed down my thoughts, and quickly checked the bodies.

It was Gale and Madge alright. Gale was wrapped around Madge, is arms shielding her from debris. The area below her breasts was torn and mangled, blood oozing and coagulating all at once. She was pale and sickly, her eyelids fluttering. I heard Peeta let out an audible gasp, and I watched as he leaned down to pick up Madge swiftly. Tears were seeping out of Peeta's eyes, and I could feel myself beginning to cry too. Poor Madge. That wound looked intense. I felt a sudden pang of guilt. I left the building earlier than they, not even caring what happened to them. I shook aside my thoughts and focused on the last body.

Gale was lying there, no semblance of his former handsomeness remaining. His face was badly scratched, and his torso and chest had bullet holes. His blood coated the pavement below him, and his left leg was twisted at an odd angle. I felt myself turn green. I reached down to check his pulse. Nothing.

Hot tears bubbled up in my eyes. My comrade, who had stuck with me, cracked jokes with me, and messed around with me for the last three months was now lying in front of me, a mangled body in the rubble. And he just got engaged to the woman that he couldn't live without, which made the situation about a gazillion times worse. I slowly reached my arms underneath him, and picked him up. He was cold, and his lips were blue. I quickly ran towards the craft.

I placed Gale on the stretcher and looked at him one last time. Then, I pressed three fingers to my lips, and placed them on his chest.

"Even though you're long gone buddy, I want to thank you for what you've done for me. You've been a great friend, comrade, and maybe even brother. I am honored to serve with men like you. Goodbye…Gale," I whispered, choking back my tears. I slowly turned around to see Katniss and Peeta entering the hovercraft. I quickly made my way to Annie, and sat down next to her. She had her hands resting on her stomach, and tears were running down her face. I wiped them away, and put a hand on her stomach.

"How are you guys?" I said, kissing her cheek. She looked up at me sadly.

"Fine now that you're here,"

"Did they do anything to you in the Capitol?"

"No. There was a peacekeeper that actually was a spy from district 13, and he helped us," she said, looking around. She pointed to a corner, where a young man was sitting. I recognized him as the spy that I had talked to a month before. I think his name was Jackson.

Almost on cue, he caught us looking at him. His eyes brightened, and he grabbed the hand of the girl he was talking to, and walked over to us. I'd never noticed the girl before. She looked around his age, perhaps a year or so younger. She had short black hair that reached only as low as her chin, and electric blue eyes. Her slender and lithe build suggested that she came from a place where she wasn't fed much. She was built just like Katniss.

"Hey, Finnick, Annie. I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Electra Grimm," he said, his voice reflecting that he was hiding some sort of inner feeling. He held out a glass of water to me. I accepted it gladly.

"How's the baby Aunt Annie?" He asked, making me spew my water. Wait. AUNT Annie? Annie raised her eyebrow at me quizzically, the statement not seeming to faze her. I shook my head and shook Electra's hand. We exchanged pleasantries, and talked for a bit.

Suddenly, Katniss's scream echoed through the hovercraft.

My blood ran cold, and I sprinted towards the front to see what was happening.

_**Meh, this chapter was bad at most. Sorry, i haven't had much time to pay attention to this fanfic. High School is much harder than i thought, and i barely have enough time to eat, and i sleep about 6 hours a night at most, so i have to reserve typing this fanfic to every other weekend.**_

_**which pretty much sucks.**_

_**anyway, i 'm trying to figure out how to end this fanfic in a good way, and not in a way taht will make people hate me, so it might take a while**_

_**thank you to everyone who reviewed. Your suggestions were incredibly helpful**_

_**ahh well, gtg do my pain in the arse homework before i botch something**_

_**~ (A very tired) Reaper**_


	26. Chapter 26:AUTHORS NOTE

**Hey guys, reaper here... with an author's message**

**gah, i know how much people hate these things. I personally despise nothing more than an authors message when im reading a story, but im sorry i have to do this.**

**See, ive been monumentally busy lately, ive started my freshmen year at an IB high school, ****which basically means that they throw a crapload of uneccessary homework at you, and work you to delirious insanity, ****so my story may not update as soon as you'd like.**

**plus, my mind's kinda blocked on where im taking this, and i have great new ideas for new stories.**

**I really hate doing this...but i have to put this story on hold for a little while... maybe until christmas break or so when i have more time so i can put more effort into this.**

**im really sorry about the blasted author's message. I absolutly hate these things, and you may hate me if you wish...**

**anyway, sorry again...ill update as soon as i have more time. In fact, i think i'm almost done with one more chapter. After that, im taking a looonggg break.**

**Sincerely,**

**~(A mentally and phsically exhausted) Reaper**


	27. Chapter 27:Katniss:Explosion

_**Katniss's POV**_

We've been flying for about an hour now. There has never been a time when I've felt more useless. My two best friends were dying, and there was nothing that I could do. Jenny, brave commander Jenny, was dead, having suffered a very painful death. I could feel tears slipping down my eyes as I remembered her mutilated body as it was lifted out of the rubble. Time was spiraling out of control, events occurring faster than any of us could process. It was sending us into a clockwork spiral of horror and pain, one that none of us could control. I rub my temples, trying to clear my mind.

"Hey, are you alright?" Peeta asked me, his eyes filled with genuine concern. I nodded. His eyebrows scrunched up, like he didn't believe me. Ever since my outburst an hour ago, he and Finnick have been slightly edgy around me, as if they expected me to spontaneously combust. My emotions are ripping me to shreds. I snuggle into Peeta's chest, refusing to let him go. I've lost enough already; My baby, my commander, one of my comrades, and possibly two of my best friends. Peeta wraps an arm around me, and draws me in close.

"I love you, you know that right?" He tells me. I look up at him. His eyes are filled with gentleness and something else. Was it longing?

"Peeta, I've always known. And from the moment I've laid eyes on you, I knew I had fallen too,"

"Katniss, I know you don't want to have kids anymore after the accident, but would it really be so bad?" he asks me. I froze. Since the accident, I've wanted kids too. Problem was, I was afraid. Afraid that I would turn into an empty shell like my mother, and leave them to fend for themselves; Afraid that they would get sent into the hunger games; afraid that I'd lose them, like last time. I snuggled deeper into his chest, not responding. I heard him sigh. I looked up and saw tears gathering in those big blue eyes; the eyes that made me melt; pools of sorrow on his perfect face. I reached my hand up to his head, and gave him a small kiss on his jaw. He looked down at me and smiled, and I felt a bit hollow inside, as if part of my heard had been ripped out, leaving an empty hole. The one thing that Peeta wanted, I would never be able to give him.

"I'm sorry Peeta, I just can't," I said, unable to look at him in the eye much longer. I heard him sigh.

"But why not?"

"Because I'm afraid,"

"Afraid of what? Katniss, you're the bravest girl I know. What could possibly scare you?"

"I'm afraid I'll lose them Peeta," I say with an exasperated sigh, and I rub my temples. I can feel him looking at me, but I say nothing. I feel like I'm about to cry, but not a single tear is left in my body. All I can do is close my eyes, and try to get away from the reality of the moment.

"Katniss," he says, lifting up my chin. I look into his wet eyes. Suddenly, I smash my lips against his. They're soft and warm, like him. He kisses back furiously, and we make out. We hear someone clear their throat in front of us.

"Trying to get her pregnant already?" I hear Finnick's voice say. I feel my cheeks heat up, and I see that Peeta's ears are starting to turn red too. Finnick smirks.

"Shut up Finny boy," Peeta says.

"Oh please dough boy, if you were any closer to her, she would have melted into you," he says. Peeta shoots him a glare, but his eyes show amusement.

"How's Annie?" he asks him. Finnick's eyes shine.

"She's fine," he responds, looking at his pregnant wife seated across the room. "I felt him kick against her," he said, his eyes shining and a grin on his face. I smile at Finnick. Atleast there's one good thing in this mess of reality we're stuck in.

Peeta nods at Finnick. He looks at me, and for a moment, I see intense longing in his eyes. He looks away quickly.

I'm about to say something when the hovercraft violently lurches to the side. Finnick flies across the room and hits his forehead on one of the seats. I scream as I watch him crumple to the ground. Annie sees him and screams. She runs over to him and picks him up. I see him twitch a bit, already regaining consciousness. The hovercraft lurches again and Peeta and I fall to the floor. I see Finnick regain consciousness, and get up, only to fall back down on his butt. Annie falls down backwards onto a chair. Prim and Rory are running over to me, trying to keep their balance on the slightly tilting hovercraft. It lurches again and Rory wraps his arms around Prim as they fall. Suddenly, a voice crackles over the intercom

_Emergency! Emergency! The ships been hit. We're losing altitude fast! Prepare for crash landing!_

Peeta looks at me with a panicked expression. I see Finnick wrap himself around Annie, protecting her and his baby. Peeta envelops me in a bone crushing hug. None of us say anything as we fall towards our doom. I see tears running down people's faces. After all this, the capitol still manages to hurt us.

I look up at Peeta, his eyes filled with fear, and crash my lips on to his. "I love you," I say to him.

"I love you t-" he begins to say. He stops and looks behind me in fear, and throws himself on top of me. I hear the horrible mind numbing screech of metal, and feel a fiery hot pain.

And then,

Darkness

Almost as if I'm floating.

_So this is what it feels like to die._

**_Okay, really short chapter. I know, I know. Before you all come at me with yer pitchforks, lemme say one thing._**

**_I have no idea what im going to do with this anymore. Well, i have an idea, but its abrupt and its a horrible way to end this story. So im willing to take your ideas on the matter._**

**_Review with what your idea is for the rest of the story. Until then, im gonna work on my new story, titled "the elementals"_**

**_im gonna write a few chapters of it before i post._**

**_again, sorry about this story. If you guys come up with a good enough idea, ill give you credit and use it in my story, and perhaps mix it up a bit. Other than that, im fresh out of ideas, which is a load of sad poo._**

**_~Reaper_**


	28. Chapter 28:Peeta:Memories

**_A/N: I am soooo sorry about the long delay! Again, I'm pretty busy nowadays, and i've been trying to write as soon as i can._**

_We're dying darlin', but know this so_

_If you leave this world right now, i'll leave with you_

_**Peeta's POV**_

The hovercraft is falling at a sickening pace. I feel my heart rate speed up. Katniss. Oh my god, I can't let her die.

"I love you Peeta," she says to me, her eyes filled with tears. I gather her up in my arms, hugging her as hard as I can.

"I love you t-" I begin to say, but break off as I look out the window behind her. I could see the tree line. Cold fingers of fear gripped at my chest as I realized what this meant. I quickly tackled Katniss, wrapping myself around her as she squeaked in protest. I was not going to let her die. I waited for the hovercraft to crash. Suddenly, it did.

I heard the sickening screech of metal, and felt the craft jolt, sending Katniss and I hurtling towards one of the windows, the one that was now facing the ground. I was able to shift to the side to take the brunt of the impact so that Katniss wouldn't get hurt. White hot pain arched across my back as I felt the glass shards pierce my skin. I cried out.

Gravity had no meaning anymore. The hovercraft was still speeding across the ground, flipping in various directions. I wrapped myself around Katniss, only stopping a moment to register that she was unconscious and there was a large rip in the back of her shirt. I felt metal hit my back, over and over, as I rolled around the hovercraft. Bodies bumped into me, but I had no idea whose they were.

The ceiling dented, almost to the point where it trapped us. I was aware of more debris hitting my back, as the hovercraft continued to tumult. I didn't feel any pain though, my body had gone numb. Suddenly, I felt something hit the back of my head. White hot pain blinded me, and my view of the hovercraft faded to black.

_Hours, minutes, days,_

_Time had no relevance here. There is only pain and insufferable loss._

White hot pain arched across my legs, and my torso, making a groan escape my lips. I tried to pry my eyes open, only to find that they were stuck together by some substance. I tried to bring a hand up to my eyes, only to find that I couldn't move it. I brought the other hand up and wiped my eyes, allowing me to open them. I looked at the expanse of silver that was hovering above me.

The hovercraft ceiling.

Memories of the crash came back to me. I must have blacked out. My head throbbed horribly, almost as if I had a cleaver stuck in it. I moaned in pain. It hurt so bad, I just wanted it all to stop. I tried to curl up in a ball, but something was stopping me. I opened my eyes again, and saw black hair

Katniss.

Panic sunk its icy claws into my chest. I was wrapped around Katniss. Her skin was pale, and there was a long scratch going down her back, but otherwise, she looked alright. Her chest was moving up and down, a sure sign that she was breathing. I let out a sigh of relief. Katniss was still alive. As long as she was alive, I would be alright. I drew her in closer, when a though struck me.

Now what?

We were trapped here, underneath a hovercraft. We seemed to be in a pocket, the metal bending around us, almost like a cocoon.

An incredibly strong cocoon with sharp edges that could collapse on us at any given moment and make both of us into a human pancake.

In other words, we were screwed.

I tried to ignore the pounding in my head as I tried to shift around, trying to get loose. This was a huge mistake. White hot pain raced up my torso as I tugged on my legs.

"Oh Fuck!" I cursed, trying to bear the pain.

"Peeta? Is that you?" I heard a voice say. I was a bit gravelly, as if the owner was in pain.

"Yes! Its me! Who is this?"

"Its Annie," the voice replied. I felt sick. Annie was pregnant. What if something had happened to their baby?

"Where are you? Are you alright? Is the baby okay? Where's Finnick?"

"Your voice is coming from near my waist, to the right, so I'm guessing you're under the collapsed ceiling? I think I'm alright, but I can't feel my left arm and it looks weird. The baby's okay Peeta, I didn't hit my stomach because Finnick cushioned me. Oh Peeta, I can't find Finnick! He might be hurt or worse. I don't know what to do. And I feel so tired, all I want to do is sleep,"

"NO! Annie don't go to sleep. Stay awake as long as you can. I'm going to try to get Katniss out of here, and I'll come and help you. Just don't go to sleep! Can you see anyone else from where you are? Can you move around?"

"I cant move Peeta, my legs are pinned down. I can see your brother, but only his upper body, the rest of him is hidden by metal. He's covered in blood Peeta, I don't know what to do! I also see my nephew and his girlfriend's feet, but they haven't moved yet. I really hope that their okay Peeta, I don't know what I could do if they were….dead,"

I heard her swallow the last word. She sounded like she was crying. I really hoped Rye was okay. I felt bile rise to my throat thinking of the state he was in. A flashback hit me.

"_You scared Peeta?" Rye taunted._

"_No!" I yelled defiantly, sticking my chest out. Rye may have been three years older than me, but I wasn't going to back down in front of him. After all, I was a big boy, already seven years old. I could do this._

"_Then go do it!" he said while smirking. I hesitated. This could get me in trouble with Mom, and it could cause Katniss to hate me. But I couldn't back down, Rye wouldn't let me hear the end of it. I had to do it._

_I had to kiss Katniss Everdeen._

_I headed to the meadow as fast as my little legs could carry me. Even though I was only seven, I was strong. I could do this._

_The dandelions were blooming, a beautiful sight in the meadow. Their yellow heads dotted the meadow, giving it an almost cheery feel for such a dreary district. I picked a clump of the yellow flowers, not knowing that at the moment that they were actually weeds._

_I looked around to see if anyone was watching me. I saw a man at the far end of the meadow. I squinted my eyes. He looked slightly familiar. He was talking, but to who? I could see no other person in the meadow. Suddenly, a high clear laugh shot through the meadow, sweet as a bird call. I recognized that laugh anywhere._

_It was Katniss_

_I saw a small head pop up out of the grass. It had rosy cheeks, gray eyes, a small pudgy nose, and a toothy smile. Katniss laughed and crouched down again, hiding among the tall grasses. I watched as Mr. Everdeen pretended to snoop around the glasses, searching for his daughter. He skimmed around her on purpose, and when she was caught off guard, he scooped her up into his arms. I felt a pang in my chest at the sight. I wish my father would do stuff like that with me. Suddenly, I felt someone's eyes trained on me. I looked up to see Katniss and Mr. Everdeen staring at me from across the meadow. I felt my cheeks redden as I approached them._

"_Hi Katniss," I said shyly. I looked up to see her intense gray eyes trained on me, and for a brief moment, I contemplated turning tail and running away. I swallowed down my fear though; Rye would never let me live this down._

"_I'm in your class at school," I added after her silence._

"_No, I know you. You're Peeta, right? The baker's son?"_

"_Yeah,"_

"_It's nice to meet you Peeta" Mr. Everdeen said with a kind smile. He shook my hand. "Nice strong grip for a lad your age," he added._

_We stood there in silence for a bit. I finally cleared my throat._

"_I just came to give you these flowers," I said to her, shifting on my heels a bit. I felt my face get warm. I looked up to see Katniss beaming at me._

"_Thank you Peeta, they're beautiful!" She exclaimed, taking them from me, and without warning, she kissed me on the cheek. I froze in shock. Katniss Everdeen had just kissed me. I felt like I was floating. THE Katniss Everdeen had just kissed me, Peeta Mellark. I couldn't control the huge grin that spread across my face. With sudden bravado, I kissed her back, on the back of her hand. She grinned._

"_Wow, you are quite the gentleman, aren't you?" Mr. Everdeen burst out chuckling. "Say Peeta, how would you and Katniss like to play in the meadow for a little while? I need to get home soon, and it would be a shame to bring Katniss in before she's fully enjoyed the day,"_

"_I would love that sir," I said, barely containing the grin on my face. My cheek muscles hurt, but I couldn't stop smiling. Mr. Everdeen ruffled my hair, a fatherly gesture that meant nothing to me then, but put an ache in my heart now. He whispered something in Katniss's ear and she nodded. The rest of the day, we played in the meadow. We played hide and seek, and tag. We chased the tiny squirrels that run through the tall grasses, and for a while, we just lay in the grass, our heads side by side but our bodies in opposite directions, giggling and pointing at the clouds. It was blissful._

_Soon the sun was starting to set. I saw a figure approaching. I recognized it as my brother Rye. I turned to Katniss._

"_I have to go now," I said to her. She frowned slightly, then smiled._

"_Ok Peeta! Thank you for the flowers. They're really pretty," she said giggling. I smiled. Suddenly, I bent forward and kissed her cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my brother freeze. I smirked slightly, knowing that I had won his bet. What surprised me was when I felt skinny arms wrap around me. Katniss was hugging me. I had no idea how this day could get any better. And then it did._

_She kissed me again._

_This time, she missed my cheek by a little bit, and caught the edge of my lip. My lip burned where she touched it. She drew back, blushing and smiling, and I had a sudden urge to kiss her on the lips, like how I saw her mother and father do so many times._

"_Bye Peeta,"_

"_B-Bye Katniss," I stuttered, watching her race towards the Seam. My mind was muddled. I heard chuckling behind me._

"_Can't believe you actually pulled that off," Rye said. I glared at him._

"_I won the bet fair and square, and she even kissed me back," I said. He smiled. _

_As we walked home, I couldn't help but be thankful that Rye had actually dared me to do that. If he hadn't, I would have never been able to have that wonderful day with Katniss. About a month after the incident, Katniss forgot about it entirely. But not me._

_I would cherish that memory forever._

I snapped back to reality as a blinding pain rushed up my arm, almost making me black out. I gritted my teeth and set to work worming my way out. I tugged and tugged at my ankle, which was the only thing that was severely trapping me underneath this sheet of metal. If I could get my ankle free, then I could worm the rest of my legs out. I tugged with increased force, until the pressure felt almost unbearable. I had to get out of here. I had to save Katniss.

Just as I thought I couldn't tug any more, I heard an audible snap, and lightning hot pain raced up my leg. I let out an unearthly scream.

"PEETA!" I heard Annie scream. The pain was intense, so intense that I knew that I had definitely broken it. I controlled the obscenities that were flowing from my mouth.

"I'm alright Annie, it's just my ankle," I said evening my voice as much as I could. I didn't want her to worry for me, especially when she has so much on her mind. I heard her muffled sobs from the other side of the metal.

I gritted my teeth again and slowly wormed my legs out of the crevice they were stuck in. I curled them up towards my chest so that I would fit in the metal pocket where Katniss and I were. Katniss still hadn't woken up, and I noticed that blood was trickling from a wound on her back. I desperately hoped that she would be fine.

I finally drew my legs up all the way. Time for the next step.

Getting out of this metal cocoon.

I gripped the edge of the metal, and gritted my teeth. Now was the time when hauling all those bags of flour would come in handy. Now was the time when all my strength would come in handy. I felt adrenaline rush through me, and with all the strength I could muster, I started pushing up on the metal.

The metal groaned, but didn't budge. I gave it all my strength. It groaned again, and finally I felt it move a little bit. One inch, Two inches. I broke out in a sweat. My teeth were gritted so hard I felt as if they would shatter. Slowly, slowly, I inched the metal upward, until finally, with a huge groan, I was able to bend it off of us. I collapsed back onto the ground, panting and gasping for breath. I was aware of Annie staring at me. I slowly got up and looked at her. She had deep concern in her eyes, and I smiled to put her at ease even though the pain was killing me. I remembered what I went through that for. I looked down at Katniss, to see if her body was trapped by anything. When it seemed clear, I lifted her up, careful not to bump her against anything. When she was out in the clear, I set her down, and went towards Annie, observing how she was trapped. There was a simple aluminum beam pinning her legs down, but she seemed unharmed. I lifted the aluminum beam, as Annie let out a small squeak, and freed her. She quickly scrambled up, seeming relatively unharmed, and started to panic.

"We have to find Finnick Peeta!" she said, clutching onto my shoulders.

"Annie, I need to see if the hovercraft's communication is still working. If it is, then we need to get help," I said, trying to sound calm, when deep down, I was internally panicking. What if we didn't make it out alive? What if they couldn't get to us in time, and the remainder of us starved? I quickly shook my head and cleared those thoughts out. We will survive. I am going to make sure that I get each and every one of us out alive.

"Annie, I need you to listen to me, alright?" I said to her. She shook her head, wild panic fading from her eyes. "I need you to go around the hovercraft, to the places you can reach, and check to see who's still alive. If there are any survivors, tell them to stay put. I'll try to contact District 13, and they'll come and rescue us. Don't do anything drastic though, I don't want you hurting the baby,"

I gave her the instructions, and started limping towards the main control room on my prosthetic leg. Thank god for this leg, or else I wouldn't be able to walk at this point, with my broken ankle holding me down. I wrenched open the flimsy door, and walked in.

Blood. Blood everywhere. The pilots were slumped over the control board, blood streaking their bodies and rivulets of the gruesome liquid sliding along the floor. I retched a few times, then stepped forward, checking if the pilots were alive.

The first one wasn't. He had a shard of glass stuck in his throat, and a look of horror still plastered on his face. I felt bile rise into my throat at the gruesome sight. I turned away, and took stock of the second pilot. She too was dead, with blood matted all around her face and a piece of metal stuck in her side. She had bled to death.

I felt a pang in my chest at this loss of life, and I felt the first hot tears run down my face. These lives lost, all due to the Capitol. Even without the games, they manage to make us suffer. I reached towards the control panel where the radio was stored, silently praying that it worked. I twisted a few knobs to the frequency they told us hooked us up to district 13. After a few tries and loads of static, I finally heard a voice.

_Co..me…..in….h…ver….ft… ….you…he…me?_

I almost cried out in delight when I heard Delly's voice on the other side.

"Delly! Delly! Yes I can hear you! Our hovercraft crashed! We need help!"

_Oh god….i'll…..help…away….._

I could only pray that she said she'd send help right away. I knew that they wouldn't have trouble finding where we were, we still had a navigation device attached to the ship. I suddenly heard a voice behind me. A voice that I would recognize anywhere.

"Peeta?"

**A/N: Again, sooo sorry about the long delay. Part of the reason is due to the fact that I have very little free time nowadays, but another reason is due to the fact that i'm just plain lazy, so I am guilty in some way...**

**ill try to add new chapters, since i now have a basic idea of how im gonna end this.**

**REQUEST TIME!**

**I have a few story ideas planned out, due to the fact that my imagination just seems to keep running off in wild directions. Here are slight summaries for them. I would really appreciate if you guys reviewed or PM-ed me to tell me what you think of these summaries**

**1. The Lies that Come Between Us**

** Electra Grimm's life has been shaky so far. Her parents died when she was nine, and she is in the custody of her older brother, who would do anything for her. The day before her fifth reaping, she meets a strange boy. A boy who can see through walls. A boy whose eyes hold incredible sadness. A boy who knows things that nobody should know. Who is Jackson Ignis, and what has the capitol done to him?**

**2. Fallen Angel**

** Katniss is the child of an angel and a mortal. These children are hunted for their blood, which is said to make the drinker immortal, and their wings, which are said to make the wearer undefeatable. She lives in the woods with her little sister Prim and her friend Gale, both of who are also angel children. What happens when a blonde haired blue eyed boy stumbles into the woods , his wings in tatters, and being chased by a bounty hunter. Will Katniss take him under her wing (haha...pun) or will she leave this fallen one to die?**

**3. The Elementals (im probably gonna write this one first)**

** Katniss Everdeen has always been different. Maybe it was because of her hard looks. Or maybe it was because she had raised her family from a young age. Or maybe it was because she was the Rogue of Fire, the legendary hero who was supposed to bring peace to a increasingly unstable Panem. She stumbles across a prophecy, one that speaks of a way to bring peace to the nation. In order to do so, she must gather the other Elementals ; Water, Air, Earth, Light, Darkness, Life, Death, and Electricity. But what happens when the infamous President Snow hears of this prophecy, and turns the nation against her?**

**4. Murder**

** Katniss is a top forensic scientist at the lab she works at. When she's paired up with her best friends Gale and Madge, no crime can go unsolved. They have managed to capture the criminal for every crime they've been assigned. All but one. There has been unrest as news of a murderer spreads across the country. He leaves to clues, and his victims are always mauled in vicious ways, and found either dead or close to death. When Katniss is called in for a murder case at Mellark mansion, she finds that the victim, her old classmate Peeta Mellark, is not dead, but very close to it. Katniss rushes him to the emergency room, and watches as he heals. He later suggests that he work with her on this case, since he's seen the murderer. But what happens when the people nearest and dearest to katniss start getting plucked off, one by one? will she give up the case? Or will justice prevail?**

**5. Refreshments Please!**

** Katniss is a typical 17 year old girl. She has great friends, and her life is generally stable. One day, she goes to the movies with her friends. At halftime, she goes to the concession stand to get her food, when she meets Peeta Mellark, who works at the concession stand. Her life turns upside down as she finds herself falling hard for the boy with the blond hair and blue eyes. (least developed idea.)**

**6. The Mirror in the Woods**

**A sort of snow white/hunger games fic. Katniss's mother, the evil queen, is ruling her life. One day, Katniss cant take it anymore and runs off to the woods with the Queen's huntsman Gale, who hates the queen as well. They travel for days, and just when they are about to collapse from exhaustion, they come across a magic mirror, nailed to a tree in the woods. When they step through the mirror, they find themselves in an alternate kingdom. Upon arriving at the castle, they meet a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Who is this man, and what does he have to do with the mirror?**

**7. Underland**

** Katniss has spent all her life living up to expectations. Her father has been the only one who understood her, but after the accident, she's had nobody. On top of that, she is expected to marry a man she thinks of as her brother. But what happens when she runs away from his proposal? What happens when her little sister and her sister's fiancee follow her. What happens when the white rabbit beckons them, and they fall down the rabbit hole. What happens when they meet a blonde haired blue eyed man at the bottom, who is set on protecting them. Where has Katniss seen this man before, and why is he so protective of her, shielding her from the wrath of the Gray Queen?**

**~Reaper**


End file.
